Seeking Aponia

Tim Minchin defends science and skepticism.

2011-11-21T12:36:00.002-06:00

Nope, not really blogging again but I wanted a place to share this video. Tim Minchin is freakin hilarious.

I may return soon. We'll see.

Happy Holidays!!!

2009-12-11T15:59:00.002-06:00

Courtesy of Matt. Thanks for thinking of me buddy. Multi-faith holiday party.

Stop doing what you're told!

Developing a Sense of Place

2009-09-11T09:52:00.002-05:00

Knowing that I have a rather limited readership (John, Dann, Kayla, Mitch, Peder...did I miss anyone?) I'm still thinking that you few might be the correct resource for this question. I'm teaching an Environmental Science class at the Red Lake Tribal College. Many of the students seem altogether too disconnected from their surroundings. I don't think this is unique at Red Lake. I think it is ubiquitous among college freshman. I would like to help them, through the class, develop a more complete sense of place. So, the question is: How?

Initially I had planned to develop a "Sense of Place Lab." I still might, but I don't feel like a single lab is going to have any real sort of impact. I'm thinking more along the lines of a semester long project that will get them outside and paying attention to their surroundings. I thought coming up with something would be easy but it's really difficult finding something that will "connect." So, if you have any ideas please post here or shoot me an e-mail.

Thanks,
Shane

Wasted click, sorry.

Feeling Small?

2009-08-14T15:03:00.002-05:00

You are. This will make you feel even smaller. It's beautiful and humbling...and far cooler than an invisible man in the sky.

I'm back, sort of. Summer is winding down so hopefully I'll have a little more time to post. I know my anxious reader has been waiting.

Homeopathic Christianity.

2009-05-10T20:25:00.003-05:00

I realize that it's been a while since I've posted. I'll blame it partly on my being busy, and partly on a high level of stress (although blogging is supposed to help that so it's kind of like a headache preventing sex). Mostly it's because I had a conversation with someone lately regarding my rather aggressive stance against religion. Not the position I take against muslim extremists, or against christians that hate gays, but the position I've taken against her. She is an extremely thoughtful, very level headed individual that doesn't do any of the bad things I've taken to blaming on religion. She supports gay marriage, she's not racist in any way that I can tell, she doesn't think I'm going to hell, and as far as I remember (lots of wine was involved) she supports the teaching of evolution.

She asked me a very simple question.

Why do I care?

Not, why do I care about what the catholic church has done lately? or why do I care about muslims in another country? or even why do I care that gw is an evangelical christian? Those are all easy to answer. But why do I care that she, a truly good hearted person who doesn't participate in or support any of the bullshit that I'm so against and who happens to take comfort in the idea that jesus is real and there is a god calls herself a christian? Why do I care about that?

When you get right down to it, I guess I don't. I can think of discussion points. Does her religious affiliation affect who she votes for? What will she teach her kids about spirituality? What will she teach her kids about me? But none of this is cause for me to change her mind about there being a god. In fact, she is exactly what I want every religious person to become.

I want everyone to be what I call a watered down christian. A "Homeopathic Christian" if you will. This is the christian that lives their life in basically a secular manner. They don't push religion on others, they don't pick and choose bible verses to justify their hatreds, and they don't use religion to get money from gullible people. They accept that the earth is 4-5 billion years old, evolution is a fact, jesus in not coming back, god did not cause nor could he have stopped any tsunami, he also did not magically find them a parking spot, and he doesn't care who's football team wins the superbowl. He is simply a comforting thought that they would rather not question too deeply lest the comfort disappear.

I don't believe that we will ever rid the world of religion. I'm not even sure that I want to. I know that most of my friends and I have spent some serious time contemplating morality, ethics, and religion. Most of the world isn't willing to put that time in. If we strip their religion from them but don't give them a replacement and don't get them to take the time, are we really going to be in a better world? I don't know. I'm not buying in to the fallacy that religion is the basis of morality. It's more that it's the easy version and people are lazy. The easy version will not be replaced with secular humanism. Too much time is invested in coming to the conclusion that this is where you stand.

So I wonder, will my blog, my letters to the editor, or my big mouth do any good? Am I actually hurting my own cause by being so vocal about this stuff? Some days I'm afraid the answer has been yes. I've upset people in discussions many a time. I've even made people cry (unintentionally). I've also received thankyou letters from people. One was hand written and signed only with a first name but thanked me for letting someone know that she was not alone in her thinking and that people with her beliefs actually have a name, deists.

I think in the long run, whether I do some good or some bad, I'll have to keep yapping like I always do...like it's optional.

Congratulations Vermont!

2009-04-07T13:15:00.003-05:00

Vermont joins three other states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Iowa) in legalizing gay marriage. I suspect it will be another 10 years before the rest of the country opens their eyes. I wonder who christians will decide to hate next? Nah, I already know.

The atheists.

Healing Touch??? WTF is Healing Touch?

2009-04-02T13:38:00.005-05:00

And why is it endorsed by BSU? The CRI (Center for Research and Innovation) is sponsoring a continuing education course for Registered Nurses Healing Touch Level I for only $300. Why would this be acceptable for continuing education of nurses? Can I study the magic and calling continuing education for aquatic biology? I think not.

So, what is healing touch? Well, according to a random Google search that landed me in, oh fuck, it landed me in Wootown, MN, which just happens to be located at the U of M. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! This shit is everywhere. Where are the earmark Nazis now? Anyway, here is what they say healing touch is:

Healing Touch is an "energy therapy" that uses gentle hand techniques thought to help re-pattern the patient’s energy field and accelerate healing of the body, mind, and spirit. Healing Touch is based on the belief that human beings are fields of energy that are in constant interaction with others and the environment. The goal of Healing Touch is to purposefully use the energetic interaction between the Healing Touch practitioner and the patient to restore harmony to the patient’s energy system.

Here is the link if you'd like to suffer through more. Damn, they must have some really top notch research backing this stuff up if it's being studied at the U of M. Oh wait, it was debunked by an 11 year old named Emily Rosa in 1998. And it's still supported by major universities? I suspect the reason is NCCAM. My already low opinion of BSU's academic standards has just gotten lower. At least it's not part of the Biology program.

It might not be all bad. Maybe I can study magic.

CNN Saves Fargo!!!!!

2009-04-01T11:06:00.001-05:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

M - Th 11p / 10c

CNN - Stop the Press

comedycentral.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Economic Crisis

Political Humor

A little pick me up for the Fargo folks.

Jenny McCarthy Body Count.

2009-03-31T09:04:00.002-05:00

Though not 100% responsible for each and every non-vaccinated preventable death. Jenny McCarthy has definitely contributed more to the dissemination of vaccine misinformation than anyone I can think of. So, I find it very appropriate to name this body count after her. Thanks Orac.

I really hate you Jenny.

Ray Comfort...An Intelligent Person's Nightmare.

2009-03-11T09:54:00.004-05:00

I just posted the infamous "Banana" video. Apparently Ray feels that atheists have misrepresented him by removing the coke can from his original video. The reason atheists shortened the video is that it's boring and the relevant portion is the discussion of the banana as the "Atheists Nightmare." I'll post the the whole thing here so that if you really want to suffer through it you can. His argument is ridiculous on so many levels but it is entertaining and relevant to the recent "Purpose of Purpose" talk by Dawkins. So, for all you Ray Comfort fans out there:

Ray, you are an ass clown.

The Banana Video.

2009-03-11T06:36:00.003-05:00

It has come to my attention that there are still people that haven't seen the Ray Comfort "Banana" video. So, for your viewing pleasure.

This video (the Ray and Kirk portion) is not meant to be a joke. This is the guy that wants to debate Dawkins.

Obviously not the original but I like the improvements.

I Saw Dawkins Too!

2009-03-09T12:44:00.003-05:00

Peder has a great post over at Two Gits about his experience during the Dawkins talk last week. I have to agree with his overview. There was not much substance. It was very much a talk presented for the layperson. However, it was entertaining and I don't regret attending. I do regret not knowing that Peder and Nils would be there. Next time guys.

I think Peder describes the Archi-, Archae-, or Arche-, and Neo-purposes more succinctly than Dawkins himself.

For the type of purpose that we can see in nature, the unconscious selections that nature has made through the survival of better adapted individuals and the passing on of their genes, he uses the term “archi-purpose”. The word “archi” being Greek for first or principal, it can also mean the earlier version, so all definitions apply here, I think.

For the type of purpose that we can see in human invention, deliberate creations that were meant to accomplish a goal, he uses the term “neo-purpose”. The word “neo” being Greek for new or recent.

He also poses some questions for Dawkins that he didn't get to ask. Since I doubt he's going to answer them, I thought I'd take a stab at 'em. Just for conversation's sake.

Do we as humans, having subverted archi-purpose, exist outside of natural selection?

Yes, and no. Certainly there are a number of situations in which we are able to avoid natural selection. Sick people that would die without medical care are able to survive and reproduce fairly regularly. However, it seems inevitable that we will run up against something that our technology can't conquer on it's own. We may find that we need to evolve or go extinct. As far as subverting our archi-purposes goes, those may be driving factors in natural selection. Our drive to eat fatty foods no longer serves us well. We are overweight, unhealthy, and die sooner because of the decisions we make based on this particular subversion of purpose. Will it result in less reproduction for those that have the greatest drive to eat high calorie foods? Maybe.

If not, what is the next step in human evolution?

Let me hope that the next step is that those of us that are able to find solace in reason and seek peace (assuming these things have a genetic basis) outbreed those that find it all too easy to murder in the name of imaginary friends (more subversion of purpose). Unfortunately, educated non-religious people seem less willing to reproduce. This really doesn't seem to be helping the cause from the view of natural selection.

If evolution is a scientifically provable, it means we should be able to model or predict future steps in the ladder; what traits will be favored in future human species?

I think that this may be theoretically possible but with very little accuracy. In reality there are just too many factors. I'm running into similar challenges in ecology. We can't even figure out why shallow lakes turn green and you want to know what the next step in human evolution will be? Good luck.

With out sounding like a fan of eugenics, does it look like we are headed in a positive direction? Can we do anything about it?

Ahh, eugenics. It's not a swear word but it sure feels like it. My personal opinion is that approached reasonably some of the ideas behind eugenics are both feasible and beneficial. I may open this can of worms another day. So, are we headed in a positive direction? That depends on what you consider a positive direction. Can we do anything? Yes. Will we? Not likely.

How about other species?

That's a bit broad. Maybe you can be a little more specific (get it?) and we can continue this one later.

Does the potential environmental disaster we are causing equate to any of the mass-extinction events in the earth’s past?

Wow. That's a great question. I would say that currently it's not even close. Will it get there? Well, I don't have a lot of faith in mankind. I don't think we'll stop until it's too late. This is another question that warrants an entire post with much discussion if you're interested. I'll bring friends too.

Just because we are content living within our epoch, where nothing has changed much in our cultural memory, doesn’t mean that things can’t go completely haywire. Assuming we don’t nuke the planet down to molten rock, and even if we do, won’t the earth’s myriad species just adapt with time and move on–with or without us?

Yep.

How do you deal with theist family members (Nils’s question)?

I'd really have liked to hear how Dawkins responded to this one. I'm struggling with this myself. Some relatives are just fine with the fact that I'm an atheist. Some are worried. Some are upset. None understand it though. I just had a conversation with my mom last night about what an atheist is. I've never discussed it with my dad and doubt that I ever will. It's really varies between people. Let me know when you find a fool proof answer to this one.

It would be fun to continue this conversation if anyone is interested. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Obama and Science.

2009-03-09T08:15:00.003-05:00

So far, so good. It appears that today will be the day that the ban on stem-cell research is lifted. More importantly, Obama appears to be working toward a government that actually considers scientific evidence on science issues. He's going to sign a presidential memorandum that will protect scientific decisions from political (thereby religious) influence. This is definitely a step in the right direction. I expect some serious but veiled resistance from NCCAM, the ID folks, and the climate change denial crowd (are they still a crowd?). Now my question is, does the presidential memorandum have teeth?

Here's to hoping.

Happy Birthday PZ!

2009-03-09T07:41:00.002-05:00

What are the odds that of the 365 days of the year, today is PZ's birthday? And what are the odds that out of the over 70 million blogs out there, I chose to go to Pharyngula today and see that it's his B-day? Let's see, using creationist (AKA John Clayton) math that would be 1 in 365 times 1 in 70,000,000. By god, that's 1 in 25,550,000,000. It must have been god guiding me to his blog on this day. Perhaps I'm the chosen one. Let's try it using regular, plain old, boring, scientific, no magic man in the sky math. 1. That is the probability that I will go to PZ's blog on his birthday and find out about it. It happened. That means it has a probability of 1. Anyway, happy birthday PZ.

52 candles are on your birthday baby eh? I hope it's delicious.

Dawkins on MPR.

2009-03-04T11:01:00.003-06:00

We're headed to his talk tonight but for those of you that can't attend he was on MPR this morning. Give it a listen here if you have time. Kerri Miller (sp?) was kind enough to interview him. However, she seemed not to be as objective as I'm used to. I think she was offended and was a little bitchy in my opinion. Perhaps someone else should have conducted the interview. Dawkins handled himself well as usual.

Shane is a 6.8.

What if god disappeared?

2009-03-03T17:43:00.003-06:00

I've stolen this PZ. I hope he doesn't mind. If he does, I'll buy him a beer tomorrow night.

If you watched that and didn't get the joke, please see Poe's Law.

Mr. Darwin, a Gift to You.

2009-02-12T15:53:00.002-06:00

Mr. Darwin, as our gift to you the United States of America would like to present this victory for science in a public court. Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! You may not realize how rare an occurrence this is. And to have it happen only days after the wakefield fiasco (here and here) is just the icing on the cake. Your birthday cake. Which I will eat for you if you do not show up to enjoy it.

That pussy Sanjay Gupta commented on the findings with his usual "fair and balanced" approach. Look, if one side is wrong you don't need to give them equal time dude. Stand up for the scientific and medical community (not to mention the evidence). You are supposed to be a doctor. If you were interviewing Hitler and a couple of his youth summer camp attendees, would you make sure he got to state his side of the argument? He really didn't write anything all that bad. He just doesn't have any balls. I suppose he wants to get jenny mcarthy on his show or something.

Please let this be the end of andrew wakefield. Unfortunately, I know it won't be the end of the vaccine debate. Oh well.

Happy birthday Chuck!

Happy Darwin Day!

2009-02-12T07:38:00.002-06:00

So pull out your geek hats for a day and remember how much fun biology can actually be. Or, just check out some of the Darwin Day material on the good old intertubez like this, this, or this.

Unfortunately, I'm out of town and unable to throw a Darwin Party this year. I've been looking and can't find anything going on in the Chicago are either. I guess I'll be celebrating with a well-aged er...highly evolved steak that's way out of my price range. I also plan to watch Dawkins on Darwin and have a few beers in the old fella's honor.

Happy D-Day.

Top Atheist/Agnostic Blogs

2009-02-05T12:49:00.007-06:00

Courtesy of Unreasonable Faith. This is mostly for my benefit but take a look if you're interested. I'd like to look through these blogs and see what I'm missing. I've read about half but the rest are new to me. So many words, so little time.

I'll hyperlink them as I check them out (they are linked at unreasonable faith too).

1. Pharyngula
2. Friendly Atheist
3. Cynical-C
4. Debunking Christianity
5. Atheist Media Blog
6. Atheist Eve
7. Atheist Movies
8. Atheist Revolution
9. Bad Astronomy
10. Bad Science
11. By the Book Comics
12. Daylight Atheism
13. Derren Brown’s Blog
14. Dwindling in Unbelief
15. Edward Current
16. Evangelical Realism
17. Greta Christina’s Blog
18. Julia Sweeney
19. Mid-West Humanists
20. Negligible Knowledge Base
21. Religion Comics
22. Richard Dawkins
23. SkepChick
24. Skeptic Blog
25. Skeptico
26. Slacktivist
27. Panda’s Thumb
28. Primordial Blog
29. Why Won’t God Heal Amputees Blog
30. William Lobell

I need a loyal following like PZ has to read these for me and forward the good stuff.

All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dysfunctional Serial Killer?

2009-02-05T08:32:00.002-06:00

Not necessarily. But this article in Scientific American reminds us of the importance of "free play." I think it might be important for adults too. I think it also indirectly points to the importance of siblings. I can't count how many "only children" I know that have social issues, including myself. I think I've become more of normal (whatever that means) social creature but I'm certain that the lack of constant contact, disputes, and resolutions with siblings resulted in some of my past social ineptitude. I certainly had plenty of time for free play though. In fact, most of my early childhood memories are of free play. Climbing trees, pretending to be superheroes, challenging my cousins to cross the river on logs, and other outdoor adventures come to mind.

According to the article:

“Free play,” as scientists call it, is critical for becoming socially adept, coping with stress and building cognitive skills such as problem solving.

It makes intuitive sense. In an organized sport, there is generally an adult in control. Rules exist before we even show up. And everyone already knows what they are there to do, except that one weird kid that was always there (I think that may have been me at least some of the time).

In free play, especially with little supervision, there are no rules except those that are laid out as play progresses by the players. This seems rather important. With no particular authority figure setting the rules up, kids have to learn to organize the rules themselves. They learn through interaction what kind of behavior is appropriate and what isn't. If one kid is too pushy or too bossy, they aren't very likely to be invited to play next time. Hopefully, they learn from this. If one is too timid, they might not have any fun and in theory would learn from this as well.

Creativity is certainly nurtured during free play far more than during organized play as well. You get to be whatever or whoever you want during free play. Development of useful manipulative social skills comes in during free play quite often. If you want to play fairies and I want to play GI Joe (or vice versa) you'll need to convince me to play your game instead of mine. Or, maybe the two of us will agree to play each other's games as an exchange, thereby learning to share. Of course, we're learning to share because it will get us something in return instead of "just to be nice" but as adults, whether we admit it or not, that generally is why people share. That's a discussion for another time.

Here is some more info on free play.

The latest holocaust denier bullshit.

2009-02-04T16:47:00.002-06:00

Apparently the vatican has demanded that this statement by Richard Williamson be recanted. It's good to see the catholic church doing something right. No Rant...don't have time.

No mas.

I'm back.

2009-02-03T21:57:00.003-06:00

What? You didn't even miss me? I've been in Guatemala for a month and no one even noticed? Hmm...perhaps my blog is not as widely read as I thought. Unfortunately, I'm still playing catch-up at work and in life so I won't be blogging much for the next week or so. Here's a quick recap:

Guatemala rocked, except the chu chos (feral dogs) and the shits (shits). I'll do a more comprehensive post later. I watched The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou this week...twice (I probably shouldn't admit this while I'm claiming I don't have time to write). This is one of the best films I've ever seen. I can't explain it. Just watch it. You'll probably hate me. I'm strangely ok with that. Oh, and Obama is our new Prez! I missed the inauguration because I was on a 12 hour bus ride across Guatemala but I'll be here for the next 8 years, which will be important part. I'll be back soon. Hold your breath.

No mas.

Happy Festivus!

2008-12-23T10:54:00.003-06:00

Happy Festivus everyone! That's right, it's today. Now, in keeping with the time honored tradition, let the airing of the grievances begin. I will start:

John, for saving my life by spraying me down with a fire extinguisher. I would thank you except for the minute detail of there not being a fire. Watch your back...

Mitch, for not getting an elk because you turned into a giant pussy when it got cold. You are an embarrassment to foresters everywhere.

The media, for reporting on science in a manner that does more damage than good and labeling everyone you interview as an "expert" in their field no matter how much of an r-tard they might be.

Jenny McCarthy, for being one of the aforementioned r-tards.

Barrack, Seriously, you can give up the fake christianity thing now. You won.

ERV, Pharyngula, SBM, and Respectful Insolence, for feeding my ADHD by allowing me a new subject with just the click of a mouse.

Jesus, for hating gay people. If you don't, shame on you for not conveying that to your earthly followers.

Pirates, for not being cool pirates like Johnny Depp. The FSM is watching.

God, You are not real and yet you have almost as much power over the world as the ipod does. Amazing but unfair.

Evil Monkey, Leave Chris alone. He's a nice kid.

Add your own grievances in the comments if you like.

Happy Solstice Eve!

2008-12-20T23:52:00.008-06:00

You know that feeling you get when you just accidentally put your heel into the squash while simultaneously filling a fermenting bucket from the sink and adjusting the oven temperature with your toe and then you realize that the transfer spigot on your bucket was open? No? Apparently you've never spent a drunken Solstice Eve with the Bowe's. Seriously, the photo evidence is all there below the fold. All this with no Yuri Gagarins (equal parts vodka and citrus/tang flavored Ripit energy drink). We're thinking of you John.

This is our new family tradition. We will spend Solstice eve preparing for our Winter Solstice Party. We bake cookies (stars, suns, moons, trees, darwin fish, flying spaghetti monsters), make food for the party (squash soup and beer bread this year), decorate, and finish up the gifts we've been making. The party this year is going to be a soup buffet, a bonfire, spiced wine, cider, and whatever other drinks we concoct. I've been brewing mead for a while but right now it tastes a bit more like perfume than honey-wine. We have decided that solstice gifts should be home-made or nature related and instead of under the Yule tree they'll be hidden, just as the FSM would wish. We've been decorating a bit too. I collected cedar and balsam bows that we are placing in baskets with lights and cones. They look really cool.

Our Solstice celebration will be nearly identical to many people's christmas celebration but somehow it feels very nice to be celebrating the return of the sun instead of the birth of jesus. We wanted to do something unique for Solstice but it turns out that pretty much every Solstice tradition was already stolen by christians. That's OK, we've come up with our own. We'll still celebrate christmas with the rest of our family but this allows us to have something special that is more in line with our beliefs. Besides, this is not a time to be spiteful.This is a time to reflect on all the good in our lives and the people around us. So, thanks to all of my friends and family for doing your best to accept and understand my views. I love you all.

Oh, it appears that the day of Solstice has arrived as I was writing this. Happy solstice everyone!

Egnor is Wrong = Egnor is Wrong, and "Why I Just Might Need to Fire my Doctor."

2008-12-18T15:13:00.004-06:00

Dr. Michael Egnor (that's MD lest the title confuse), a neurosurgeon and ID proponent often refers to evolution as nothing more than a tautology. In all honesty, I didn't even know what that meant until looking it up and even then I wasn't so clear. So, here is one interpretation by MarkCC at Good Math, Bad Math. It's an interesting read if you're curious about tautologies in logic. Read right on down to the bottom and be sure to catch the rant at the end about the death of the author's father before reading below the fold here.

I've been struggling with the idea of firing my doctor and the content at the bottom of that article spells out my reasoning quite well. He doesn't accept evolution. I don't have any personal anecdote like the death of a loved one to harden my resolve but I don't really want to wait for that. I'm just not sure that I'm comfortable with a doctor that doesn't understand the implications of evolution in medicine. It could cause real damage, to me, to my wife, and to my future children.

Now, my doctor may not be quite as off the wall as the one in that story. In fact, I suspect he probably subscribes to some weak form of intelligent design (as though there is a strong form). I would bet that he just refuses to give up on his belief in the magic man in the sky and ID allows him to retain the god hypothesis while accepting that evolution is real. He's really a pretty good doctor. I would bet that he is more than ready to explain the evolution of bacteria and antibiotic resistance. Just to be sure though, I think we will have this conversation at my next check up. And if he can't give me reasonable answers, well, he's fired.

Marriage (măr'ĭj): The Legal Union Of A Man And As Many Women As He Can Afford.

2008-12-11T08:27:00.007-06:00

Yep, more on same-sex marriage, or gay marriage, or gayrriage. We all know by now that the fundies think the institution of marriage is sacred and has been defined as one man and one woman for thousands of years (at least Mike Huckabee thinks this). I call Bullshit. Lisa Miller does too, in a Newsweek cover story. She quite accurately points out that polygamy (technically polygyny I think) was rather common in the bible.

Shall we look to Abraham, the great patriarch, who slept with his servant when he discovered his beloved wife Sarah was infertile? Or to Jacob, who fathered children with four different women (two sisters and their servants)? Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon and the kings of Judah and Israel—all these fathers and heroes were polygamists.

Also noted are some of the more ridiculous rules layed out in the bible. Some of my favorites (not necessarily mentioned in Lisa's story): stoning one's non-virgin wife, proper blood sacrifice rituals, and the fact that rabbit meat and shellfish are abominations and should not be eaten. Curiously, though man on man lovin' is expressly forbidden, nothing much is really mentioned about women. Apparently god digs that too. Daily Kos picked up on an especially entertaining comment defining marriage using biblical standards found below the fold.

A. Marriage in the United States shall consist of a union between one man and one or more women. (Gen 29:17-28; II Sam 3:2-5)

B. Marriage shall not impede a man's right to take concubines in addition to his wife or wives. (II Sam 5:13; I Kings 11:3; II Chron 11:21)

C. A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she shall be executed. (Deut 22:13-21)

D. Marriage of a believer and a non-believer shall be forbidden. (Gen 24:3; Num 25:1-9; Ezra 9:12; Neh 10:30)

E. Since marriage is for life, neither this Constitution nor the constitution of any State, nor any state or federal law, shall be construed to permit divorce. (Deut 22:19; Mark 10:9)

F. If a married man dies without children, his brother shall marry the widow. If he refuses to marry his brother's widow or deliberately does not give her children, he shall pay a fine of one shoe and be otherwise punished in a manner to be determined by law. (Gen 38:6-10; Deut 25:5-10)

G. In lieu of marriage, if there are no acceptable men in your town, it is required that you get your dad drunk and have sex with him (even if he had previously offered you up as a sex toy to men young and old), tag-teaming with any sisters you may have. Of course, this rule applies only if you are female. (Gen 19:31-36).

Now, how about we get over this "traditional definition of marriage" bullshit. Remember, there was a time not so long ago that the definition of marriage included a man and his servile wife of the same race (color). Does that seem appropriate? Our children will look back at these discussions and be embarassed in the same way that we are embarassed about the rampant racism of our recent history (not that we've conquered that yet either).

John Stewart Takes Huckabee to Task on Gay Marriage.

2008-12-10T16:23:00.003-06:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

I appreciate that Mike Huckabee is willing to show up on the Daily Show. I'm not really sure what he thought he would gain considering the audience though. I'm sickened and embarrassed by Prop 8 and by the level of homophobia in the United States these days but I think I may have a fix for the problem.

Why don't we just remove the entire concept of marriage from government. We will change the little piece of paper that says two people are joined together as one into a civil union for everyone. Everyone. Not just homosexuals. Then everyone can be equal. We will all receive the same tax breaks, get the same health care coverage, enjoy the same divorce process, and complain equally about the sex not being so good since the wedding. The question of whether or not the union is "defined" as a marriage can be decided by your church. If your church wants to remain homophobic, and I'm guessing it does, it can grant the right of marriage to heterosexuals only. The right wing fundamentalists can continue to live in the dark ages and the rest of us can get on with our lives. I'm willing to change my marriage to a civil union. It's just a word...like Jesus.

Geography, Apparently Not My Thing.

2008-12-08T13:24:00.003-06:00

Go to this link. You will have five minutes to submit answers and come back with a score. I really suck so make beating me your goal and you'll feel good about yourself all day long. I got 51. I think I sat there for the entire last minute unable to answer any more. Post your score in the comments if you'd like to help me feel dumb.

Prop 8: The Musical

2008-12-03T14:44:00.005-06:00

Damn you PZ for getting all the good stuff first. I don't care. I'm stealing it anyway:

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Peter Schiff or Ben Stein?

2008-12-02T07:43:00.002-06:00

Peter Schiff any day in my book. I know hindsight is 20-20 but I am getting a chuckle out of this video. Ben and the rest of the "Faux News" financial analysts get to eat their words. Anyone still think the Dow is going to hit 16,000 in 2008? I didn't think so. Hmm...I guess Grandpa was right. He predicted this recession years ago.

The Only Homeopathic Remedy I Will Ever Recommend.

2008-11-14T14:00:00.003-06:00

Homeopathic "medicine" is based on three principals and one unavoidable fact.

1. The Law of Similars. Or, like cures like. 2. The Law of the Infinitesimal Dose. Or, the more diluted a homeopathic solution is, the more potent. 3. Illness is specific to the individual.

The unavoidable fact, of course, is that homeopathy is complete and utter bullshit that does not, can not, and will not work.

This last fact is precisely why I find the idea of a homeopathic remedy perfect for one and only one disease, religion.

The trick is this. We don't treat religion as the disease. We consider religion the homeopathic remedy. Stay with me, I think this could work.

First, "The Law of Similars." We take a societal problem like hatred of gays. Next, we find the religion that hates gays the most and send them in to do the fixing. At this point, it's not sounding like a very good idea. But don't give up yet. Just remember the very important fact that follows the 3 laws.

Next enters "The Law of the Infinitesimal Dose." This is where we take that particular religion and water it down with more reasonable ideas. Slowly chip away at the old religious dogma. Dilute it with sanity. Slowly it becomes more and more powerful (diluted). The proof that this sort of dilution works can be found in Scandanavia, where most people are "christian" but don't follow christian dogma and have the happiest most peaceful societies on earth

Finally, "The Illness is Specific to the Individual." Remember, the "illness" is not religion in this case. The societal problem is. And realistically, societal problems, especially those related to religion are often specific to the individual society.

Admittedly, this is not a perfect fit but it is a useful starting point for a discussion about the cure for religion. I have come to the conclusion that we will never "cure" religion. The best we can hope for is a healthy watering down. I'm also ok with that. As long as religion serves to uplift, comfort, and bring together the members of a society, it can be a good thing. Did I just say that? Yeah, but remember, I'm not talking about religion as it stands in the US today. Think Sweden. Anyway, the only way this is going to happen is if all religion is watered down to the level of say, Santa at christmas time. Nobody thinks he's real, but he makes everyone feel a little better about themselves, a little more giving, and a little less hateful.

The impetus for this post was a three minute video sent to me by Ted.com on the Charter for Compassion. The video has been posted at Pharyngula and has really generated a lot of discussion (currently at 335 comments). Unfortunately, too much of it was very hateful. I despise the bad that comes from organized religion, but I'm learning to recognize the good. And if there is some way to dilute the bad and keep the good I'll feel a little better about the fact that religion is here to stay.

I think that's really what the Charter for Compassion is all about. Recognize that all societies accept and embrace the golden rule. Convince them that it should override any other rule, especially those created by invisible friends in the sky. Spread it around bit by bit. Baby steps.

Axolotls, Gay Animals, and Geckos, Oh My!

2008-11-14T12:15:00.001-06:00

Tangled Bank #118 is a great read. Check it out over at Submitted to a Candid World. Whether you read the message to the prez-elect or just follow a few links and learn something, you won't be bored. Be sure to check out the Axolotls, the smallest gecko, and learn a little something about homosexuality in animals (spoiler: it's not as "unnatural" as people tend to think). I won't steal all the links. Go check it out yourself. It's a wonderful way to waste a morning.

Ain't he cute?

Hobbitsssesss.

2008-11-11T19:04:00.004-06:00

Or, more accurately, Homo floresiensis. In case you haven't heard, we've found Bilbo. Yes, Bilbo. I know, the hobbit you know more about is probably Frodo. But Bilbo is "The Hobbit." Frodo didn't even exist until the sequel. Of course this has absolutely nothing to do with the Nova episode that I just watched on Homo floresiensis. I didn't catch every detail because I was trying to cook dinner and read a paper on Chara as a nutrient sink in shallow lakes. I didn't finish the paper but I'll get there.

I'm still not sure how convinced I am that H. floresiensis is a new species but even the possibility is exciting. Even more thought provoking is the possibility that somewhere, somehow, a remnant population of hobbits may be scurrying around making stone tools and slaying dragons, er, deer. Imagine the implications.

What would we do if we found a species intelligent enough to make clothing, tools, and weapons? Would we have to consider them human? Would we have debates about whether hobbits should receive full human rights or just half? Would they join our society as equals? Would interspecies marriage be allowed or would Prop 8b shut it down? Would the republicans refuse hobbits the right to vote or would they try the Bilbo for president angle?

I can only imagine that we'd have one hell of a worldwide wakeup call.

Child Abuse Blog

2008-11-07T13:56:00.002-06:00

This woman is sick. You can say that religion doesn't "cause" this type of behavior, but I don't know how you can believe that it doesn't encourage it. She's raising a four year old to believe that she is inherently evil.

She is a wretched little girl, who knows she is a wretched sinner who needs only a good saviour to help her. Glory belongs to God!

She makes my brain hurt. Let's follow it up with something humorous. Lil O'Reilly is below the fold. Enjoy and have a nice weekend. I'm off to kill things.

Robert F. Kennedy = Bad Science

2008-11-07T08:17:00.003-06:00

Apparently Barack Obama is seriously considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the EPA. That's very disappointing to me. One of the main reasons that I voted for Obama was that I felt he would embrace science and reason. It was obvious that Palin/McCain were more interested in ridiculing science than advancing it. RFK has been a champion of the environmental cause but not a champion of science. He's taken the bullshit from the anti-vaccine crowd and spread it around using his fame instead of using sound science. See below the fold or the link above for an example of his idiocy. If you're going to make him head of the EPA, why not put Jenny McCarthy in charge of the CDC? I'm concerned, so I sent a message to the Obama transition team. It's a safe bet that Jenny and Rob's minions will too. So, if you are at all concerned about the state of science in this country it wouldn't hurt to add your voice to the fray.

Wassup?

2008-10-28T07:15:00.000-05:00

Nope, no more.

Jane, You Ignorant Slut.

2008-10-24T21:33:00.005-05:00

Sarah actually. Look, even Jesus thinks your an idiot, and science has done him very few favors. I hate just stealing juicy material from PZ but he has like 10,000 loyal atheist servants searching the intertubez day and night to dig this shit up and I have only me. Palin has made some comments that are driving me crazy. It's really nothing new, but watching the video and seeing her facial expressions somehow makes me hate her more.

I had a recent discussion with a coworker and came to the conclusion that almost the entire reason that I've become associated with the left is that the fuckwits on the right have made it their business to misinterpret, misunderstand, misuse, and misrepresent science. Palin and McCain ridicule fruitfly research, population genetics, and the infamous "overhead projector" at every opportunity. I'm starting to believe that they really are this stupid. Many if not most genetic discoveries are made because we fund studies on fruit flies. Grizzly bear population studies are directly related to other mammal populations (like umm, humans), and I've already responded to the idiotic remarks about the projector. See the video below the fold or go check it out at Pharyngula. Oh, and unless you're Mitch, sorry about the last post.

Suckers.

2008-10-24T10:51:00.003-05:00

Especially you Mitch. I know, this is horribly immature but I take stupid office games very seriously. If you'd like to get me back for wasting your time, please go here.

If you have no idea what's going on please see the Wikipedia entry for Rickrolling.

10 Myths About Autism.

2008-10-23T12:58:00.001-05:00

ABC might be my new favorite network. Hmm, I don't think I had an old favorite network. Either way, ABC wins today. It was kind of them to hold off their airing of the "On Call Autism" series until after I finished reading Dr. Offit's book but really guys, you didn't have to. I'm sure it will be a bit over dramatized but the "10 Myths About Autism" article seems to be right on track. They dive right into the issues surrounding causes, such as vaccinations and "refrigerator mothers." They also point out that autism can not be cured. More below the fold.

It's very refreshing to see a network tackling this issue instead of publicizing the controversy. A five minute debate between a CDC scientist and Dr. Jay Gordon or Jenny McCarthy is really not fair to the viewer. It gives the unfair impression that the two are equally qualified to answer questions about the subject. Dr. Gordon a fringe antivaccination doctor and Jenny is, well, Jenny. My hopes are that this series will talk to real researchers that have actually conducted the epidemiological studies necessary to determine the role of vaccines and some folks that can debunk the useless and dangerous medical practices that have been forced on undeserving children.

The five part series starts November 3rd and continues through the 7th. I'll be watching as much of it as I can. Hopefully some of the parents out there with questions about autism and doubts about Jenny McCarthy will be paying attention too. If you have no doubts about Jenny, you'll just be screaming "Conspiracy!" anyway, so don't bother. It should be good stuff.

OK, lunch is over. Gotta go.

Introducing: Pandora

2008-10-21T10:36:00.004-05:00

If you haven't heard of Pandora Radio, you've got to check it out. It's supersweet. It's also very simple. Just go to the website, set up an account, enter the name of a band you like, listen to what comes up and rate it. Eventually you'll have your very own perfect radio stations catered to your own likes/dislikes. I've discovered all kinds of music that I hadn't heard of. If you want to see what I've been listening to, scroll to the bottom of this page to "Pandora's box" and click on Bobo's Tunes.

Pandora rules.

You Don't Have to Buy it for Me Now.

2008-10-19T20:30:00.005-05:00

I read Paul Offit's, "Autism's False Prophets" over the weekend. Reading is something that's very manageable while at the in-laws house. Which is great, because I've really been wanting to read this book. Here's my review:

I knew that the so-called "vaccine debate" was very heated and very polarizing. I didn't realize quite how bad the situation was until lately. Just check out the Amazon reviews if you need proof. So far, everyone rated it either a 5 or a 1. I've been reading the Science-Based Medicine Blog lately and noticed that some of the anti vaccination comments were really off the wall. I also stumbled upon this book there. I've taken an interest in this particular subject, not because of any connection with autistic children (the closest association I can claim is that a student of my school was autistic and I can remember his name) but because it seems to be just one more example of science not getting to the public. I'm finding myself more and more interested in this subject and how exactly we can approach a fix. So, I read the book.

It's a great book. Dr. Offit is articulate, well mannered, and a wonderful voice of reason in a very dangerous debate that shouldn't even be taking place. The book explores the background of the vaccine debate from the first questions about MMR, to Thimerosal, to quack therapies and why we should all pay attention. Because of my interest in communicating science to the general public, I found his discussions of the inability of scientists and their data to trump parents and their emotionally charged accusations the most interesting, if a bit disheartening. This is the real problem in this battle. The science is very clear. The science says, "Autism is NOT caused by vaccination!" The problem, is that only scientists care about the science. How can you compete with Jenny McCarthy going on Oprah and discussing her very personal situation with her own child by pulling out a statistical analysis? It doesn't matter that we're right. It's very much like the (non-existent) evolution debate or climate change denialism. We don't win those arguments with science. Science is only one part of changing the minds of the populace. The real question is, "How do we get the public on our side?" It took Al Gore to get people to accept climate change. Al gore. What the fuck does Al Gore have to do with climatology? Nothing. Anyway, that's where the book falls short. It doesn't address the real problem. Not that it could. I don't know how we convince people to go to the proper authority (CDC) for information instead of the popular authority (Jenny McCarthy).

I don't think the book will change the minds of any parents that are already anti-vaccine. If someone is in that boat, they're very likely beyond the point of reason. I do hope it will help wake up the people that have been sitting on the sidelines, watching this debacle unfold. The world needs to stand up to people like Jenny McCarthy, Robert F. Kennedy, and John Kerry. The world needs to say, "Hey dipshit! YOU ARE NOT A SCIENTIST! YOU CAN'T EVEN SPELL EPIDEMIOLOGY! STOP PRETENDING TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" I'm a biologist and I don't pretend to know the answers about autism and vaccines. I just know who to listen to. I don't listen to Rush Limbaugh about climate change. Or to Jerry Falwell about the science behind evolution. I do know that I WILL listen to the very under-funded, under-paid, under-appreciated, epidemiologists at the CDC as far as the autism-vaccine controversy is concerned.

In closing, if you're interested in further (and much better) reviews of this book, go here. If you're interested in the autism-vaccine debate and it's history, read the book. It's well worth your time. The Family Guy will wait (besides, you can watch it online with no commercials later).

I Used To Like John McCain.

2008-10-16T07:40:00.004-05:00

This election has really changed that. Last night's debate didn't help either. I'm upset at the level of dishonesty in his campaign and his apparent lack of interest in science. Americans are fast falling behind in math and science and John McCain has yet again chosen to ridicule Barack Obama for supporting science education with earmarks. Come on, if you want to pick on earmarks, find a better target. Hopefully this will result in some press for the Adler Planetarium and they'll get some much needed donations to help pay for the projector that was NEVER FUNDED. Hmm, forgot to mention that didn't you John? The claims about ACORN and voter fraud are equally disgusting. This is not voter fraud. This is a case of fraud against ACORN. If you want details go here.

Look up all the juicy details on the debate at fact check, the only source I trust.

Sorry John. We can't be friends anymore.

The Fall of McCarthyism!

2008-10-10T16:30:00.001-05:00

No, not that McCarthyism, this McCarthyism. That picture is scary. I think she wants to eat my liver with some Vicia faba and a nice homeopathic wine (Klarbrunn perhaps?). I'm not sure if that's funny but will let it ride. The Scienceblogs Book Club is discussing a new book: Autisms False Prophets, by Paul Offit. There's also a great review here. I haven't read it but it's on my list. Unfortunately, it's a long list and I have precious little time to read. However, if you have questions regarding autism and would like to know what the medical community really thinks about the claims being made by Jenny McCarthy and the like, it may be worth your time.

More reading about the vaccine controversy is available here. As always, consider your source.

The Right to Die.

2008-10-10T08:05:00.004-05:00

Lately PZ has been pissing me off with his uncritical acceptance of any anti-McCain/Palin propaganda (see here and here) so I haven't been reading Pharyngula as regularly. Today he seems a little more back on track with this post linking to excellent article by Dan Savage. He just lost his mother. Because of the christian dogma tied into our current legal system, she was forced to choose between three painful deaths. She had no other options.

I'm often asked why I have a problem with religion. This is a prime example. I won't leave religion alone because it won't leave me alone. If the catholic church is so against physician assisted suicide then DON'T DO IT! Leave the rest of us alone and allow us to die in the way that we choose. Initiative 1000 would give Washington State residents a choice. It doesn't require anyone to take part. It doesn't have any loop holes that would allow someone else to choose for you. It is simply allowing the freedom to choose, in what is supposed to be a free country.

Let's Keep Pork on the Table...for now.

2008-10-09T15:05:00.006-05:00

I watched the presidential debate the other night. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't very impressed by either side. If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm generally biased toward the democrats. I support those that are most aligned with reason and seem to use facts to back up their decisions the most. This by no stretch of the imagination means that I think the democrats always use reason as a basis for decisions, just more often than republicans. More below the fold.

As I said, I really wasn't that impressed by either side. However, I was especially unimpressed with one key point made by John McCain. This involved his favorite soapbox item, pork. Now, I can only assume that numerous campaign strategists looked through the never ending list of pork supported by Barack Obama and narrowed it down to the most ridiculous, unreasonable, bullshit, left-wing, communist, pile of wasted tax payer's money they could find so that John would really knock him out with a zinger. That amazing waste of tax dollars was said to be a 3 million dollar overhead projector. This is not your 3rd grade teacher's overhead projector. No one will write all over this thing with dry erase markers. It's a state of the art Zeiss planetarium projector for the Adler Planetarium. They host over 400,000 students and guests every year. They educate young children about science in America! What a complete waste of money. Check it out here.

Whoa, did you really think you could hide that one Obama? No, no he did not. In fact, it's listed on his website among all of the other budget requests he's made for FY08 here.

After looking at that list, I'm really not sure how opposed to pork I am. I see a lot of very worthwhile projects on that list. Many of them are projects that I'd support in a stand alone bill or on a referendum. If we get rid of pork, how will these projects get funding? Will they be stand alone bills? I don't really see how that's possible. Will the money go to states and then be divied up? I don't have an answer to the "earmark problem" but for now, I'm willing to leave pork on the table.

OMG UR Fat!

2008-10-06T08:44:00.007-05:00

That's right, YOU! You are fat. Not that I really needed to say it. If you're an american and you're reading this, there is at least a 64% chance that I'm right. The other 36% of you probably think you are so I'm just supporting your negative self image. I think I'm allowed to say it too. I think that I, as a fat guy, can call you fat and get away with it. Either way, I just did. So get over it.

Now the question is, What are we going to do about it? There is a plethora of diet advice available from your doctor, in magazines, on the web, in your office, probably even in your own head. My advice is to try the latest, 3 minutes a day, high carb, low fat, high protein, Snickers and Pepsi, lot's of grapefruit juice, bowel cleansing, buy my product bullshit that's in the back of your current issue of the Enquirer. Or, just eat healthier and exercise. I can't help you figure out how to get yourself to actually exercise, but I did find some very simple, easy to follow advice for healthy eating. Are your ready for this?

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

That's it? That's it. Dr. Harriet Hall, the skepdoc writes a review of "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" by Michael Pollan. Check out the review here. Then, go buy the book. Read the book. Wrap the used book in newspaper. Send me the book so I can read it too. It's a win-win for everyone.

There is more great eating advice in the review and I'm sure in the book as well. Check out one or both. And as soon as I figure out the trick to exercising regularly, I'll let you know. Until then, we're still fat, and we're still sitting here looking at a computer screen getting even fatter. Go do some push-ups! Now!

Abort Palin

2008-10-01T20:41:00.005-05:00

This was going to be a post about the shift left. Specifically, abortion. But I just can't help myself. With the debate coming up, I just have to rant a bit about Palin. I felt a small morsel of sympathy at first when I saw the Saturday Night Live skits (here and here). To do my best to maintain my "fair and balanced" outlook on life, I took a gander over at the CBS website. You know, just to see what Katie Couric's interview really looked like. I'm used to SNL blowing these sorts of things out of proportion. And what did I find?

OMG me think me Hed Asplode!!!!! (Sorry, ERV has me using LOL Speak when I get excited while typing. I'm not sure if there's a name for the disorder or not.) Anyway, if you haven't watched or at least read the interview, please take the time. After watching this interview, I am truly embarrassed for John McCain. I felt like the dad of the kid winning the talent show sitting next to the dad who's kid had no business being there. I have serious disagreements with the guy but I can respect his opinions and I think he really has worked hard to be some sort of independent republican. I don't think he's an idiot. I don't think he's Bush's lapdog. I do, however, think that he has made the greatest mistake of his career in choosing Sarah Palin as a running mate. I won't even go into the religious aspect of this. Too many blogs have already hit that nail on the head.

But holy shit people! I have lots of friends and relatives with more foreign policy experience than her. Hell, I have more! I've at least been stationed overseas. She honestly feels that being the gov in Alaska has given her some sort of foreign relations experience. This is not just another SNL joke. Watch the real interview. A lot of people have been critical of Katie for "attacking" her with extremely difficult questions. I don't really think that "What news pubs do you read?" and "Do you support a mortgage freeze?" are difficult questions. In fact, I would bet that anyone reading this can come up with some sort of general answers to those questions. She didn't answer much of anything. I know that politicians never like to give black or white answers (largely because there are very few black or white issues) but her answers were downright ridiculous. She's obviously been cramming very hard for the big day, but I think she's destined to fail. Not because I believe in destiny. Just because I think that no amount of cramming is going to get her up to speed.

Remember, we may not just be talking about the little helper for the prez that dick cheney has been. John McCain could very possibly die in office and this lost little school girl could be in charge. Do you want her to be the voice of the United States? I'll watch on Thursday but if Palin's performance is anything like the Couric interview I'll simply be waiting for the end of the talent show so I can get up without making eye contact with this guy next to me and go congratulate my son. Not that I consider Obama my son. This analogy may be totally worthless. I'm on my fifth beer. I'm going to stop now.

Sam Harris on Palin.

2008-09-24T11:10:00.003-05:00

Sam Harris has an excellent opinion piece in Newsweek. The more I learn about this woman, the more afraid I become. Why is it so great that Sarah Palin is an "ordinary person" or as you may have heard, a "hockey mom"? How does this in some way qualify her for what is arguably the second most important job in the world?

The prospects of a Palin administration are far more frightening, in fact, than those of a Palin Institute for Pediatric Neurosurgery. Ask yourself: how has "elitism" become a bad word in American politics? There is simply no other walk of life in which extraordinary talent and rigorous training are denigrated. We want elite pilots to fly our planes, elite troops to undertake our most critical missions, elite athletes to represent us in competition and elite scientists to devote the most productive years of their lives to curing our diseases. And yet, when it comes time to vest people with even greater responsibilities, we consider it a virtue to shun any and all standards of excellence. When it comes to choosing the people whose thoughts and actions will decide the fates of millions, then we suddenly want someone just like us, someone fit to have a beer with, someone down-to-earth—in fact, almost anyone, provided that he or she doesn't seem too intelligent or well educated.

You go Sam! Check out the link for more.

P.S. Sarah is even more lame than the Swiss.

Tragic Elk Death by Barbaric Northern Tradition.

2008-09-17T17:17:00.006-05:00

That's right bitches. I'm a hunter. I hunt with bows, rifles, shotguns, and sometimes (not very successfully) sling shots. My most recent hunting adventure is taking place right now. Last night I shot my first Elk. It was a 30 yard uphill walking shot. Not bad if I may say so myself. So, what kind of ethical discussion should we have regarding hunting? None. I don't try to defend the ethics of hunting. I kill things because I like to kill things. I do so using fair chase hunting techniques and I use as much of the animal as I can but I don't really call it ethical. Neither is stealing toilet paper from the college when I'm too cheap to buy it but guess what? Yeah, shit happens. Now, for your enjoyment, below the fold are a few hunting trip photos from the first few days of our trip.

Photos!

The End is Near!

2008-09-10T08:10:00.005-05:00

It's official, the world is ending today. And, as predicted, the Swiss are to blame. Those sneaky devils. They flipped the switch today at the LHC. So far they're just zipping one beam through the system to make sure it all works. It appears that it does with some minor problems. The next step is to is to turn on two beams going in opposite directions. This will result in collisions with enough force to do things physicists could only dream about until now (and the beginning of the end;)). Actually, I really hope that their dreams are a little more interesting than high energy collisions. I'll be keeping an eye on the progress. PZ is keeping track and has a few more links for more in depth coverage if you're interested. If you're not, you should be. This is, afterall, the stuff that stuff is made of.

CNN link

There is nothing more.

Science Will Kill Us All...in 2012.

2008-09-05T11:11:00.003-05:00

How do I know? Because, I read it on the intertoobz here. Even worse, the Swiss, those deceitful bastards are the most likely ones to initiate the demise of all existence. Neutral my ass. If the Swiss were a neutral country they would sit out of the olympics. Judging by their medal count, maybe they should have. Man I hate the Swiss.*
*See footnote below the fold.

*If you are Swiss and are offended by this post, I apologize. Unless your name is Matt. I take that back, I don't apologize. After all, you're Swiss. You're not going to do anything about it.

Obama: Science Debate 2008

2008-09-02T13:51:00.002-05:00

Some of you may remember me sending out an e-mail asking you to sign a petition for Science Debate 2008. Although neither candidate agreed to an actual science debate, Obama has at least answered the top 14 science questions that were submitted. So far he seems very supportive. He's also provided more detail than I'm used to from him. He approves of stem cell research and has promised to remove the idiotic bush bans on embryo use. He seems supportive of basic research funding but I'm not sure where said funding is going to come from. I'm a bit skeptical but there is no doubt that he'll be more supportive of scientific endeavors in general than pretty much any republican candidate. John McCain has promised to answer the questions but hasn't gotten around to it yet. We're waiting John...

more?

The Slow Steady Shift...Left. (part one)

2008-08-27T21:19:00.003-05:00

This is going to be a multiple part post. I'll try to remember to link back to the others in each one. I'll also label each one as "shifting left" so you should be able to search for them. K, here goes.

I think I've been on a steady political shift from right to left on most fronts for an awfully long time. I remember quite clearly that in high school I considered myself a very devout christian. As expected, I supported most right-winged views. I was a death penalty supporter. I looked down on people that lived on welfare. I would very likely have physically assaulted someone that burned a flag in front of me. I felt no pity for criminals. I didn't feel like a moron when I made comments about "bleeding heart liberals." I actually believed, because of what I had been taught by my elders, that teachers, professors, and intellectuals in general happened to be mostly liberal simply because they were somehow brainwashed into believing those things. I'm going to make this a multi-part post. I think I'll separate it into beliefs that have changed from then to now but that's not really what's happened. What's happened would be more accurately described as a change in my thinking process. More below the fold.

So, for part one, I guess I'll write about the change in my thinking process. Let me try to explain the way in which I viewed the world before science became such a big part of my life and why. I, like everyone else, was raised with a number of beliefs that weren't really verified in any way. You just believed things because that's how you were taught things were. Let me start with a childhood example. The Tooth Fairy will come in the night and take your tooth out from under your pillow in exchange for money. As you will agree, there is no reasonable explanation for the Tooth Fairy. Well, money does appear under your pillow if you leave a tooth there. That is evidence at some level. OK, now a little more grown up example. I could throw out examples like jesus being the son of god, or prayer being an effective medicine but I'm going to start with something a bit more basic, a wives' tale.

Here's a common wive's tale that we've all heard and many of you likely believe. If you go outside in the cold, especially with a wet head, you'll get pneumonia. I've chosen this example because I heard it as a child and I still hear it now. Educated adults, people that have graduated high school, some that have graduated college, still believe that being outside in the cold somehow increases our chances of contracting pneumonia (or influenza, or strep-throat, or the common cold). Why?

Here's where the thought process comes in. Many people, myself included until I discovered the tools of science, believe things without skepticism until something smacks them in the face and says, "Hey! Asshole! This is not true! Now wake the fuck up and look around a bit alright mate!? (Yes, sometimes that something is a foul-mouthed Aussie). But seriously, lots of folks (they tend to call themselves conservatives) just hold on to a belief until something proves it wrong. Often this is a fine way to think. You can't question everything in life. You just have to trust the people around you. Parents, teachers, coaches, friends, and leaders are usually people that have shown themselves to be trustworthy. Therefore, we trust the beliefs that they pass on to us. Like I said, often this is just fine. If your mother says, "Don't eat this, it's poison," it's not a bad idea to listen. If she's right, you'll live. If she's wrong, you'll still live. Super. Right?

What about when your mom says the stars all revolve around the earth? It's not physically harmful. But it is damaging. Don't believe me? Try adding to that a belief that humans are 6,000 years old, Noah's flood made the Grand Canyon, and dinosaurs never existed. Now, take that bag full of bullshit and pass a science test with it. Maybe you think that's not all that damaging either. How about a belief that women are not as intelligent as men? It's still around and it's bullshit, just like it always was. That belief persisted because people just believed what their elders taught them even when evidence to the contrary was thrown in their faces.

So here's the real problem with this type of conservative thought process. We lie to ourselves. Instead of confronting a belief when the tools are available to test it, people tend to just stick with it because it's comfortable. If you are too comfortable with your ideas, you're not going to be willing to change them. This seems to result in a dishonest form of intellectual inquiry. Instead of asking honest questions about the world and then looking for evidence, we start with an idea and look for confirmation. This is what fuels the imaginary evolution vs. creation debate. There is no debate, not among scientists. The people that don't understand evolution aren't even trying. All they look for is some little hole in the theory that will allow them to confirm their pre-existing belief in creation.

Now, how has my thought process changed? Since that is supposed to be the point of this rambling, incoherent, pile of a post. Here's where science really comes in. The scientific process requires that to the extent possible one should approach every single problem without bias. Obviously, this is not possible in an absolute sense. However, simply being aware of your bias can really change how you are able to think about a problem. Try it some time. It becomes more and more difficult the more things are ingrained into your life. Ask yourself this question: How does phosphorus affect the trophic state of a lake? If you have no idea what that means, you probably start with very little bias when you begin looking for an answer. I try to approach every question that's important to me in this way. Now, the scientific process comes in again. This is where it gets a little more difficult. The only evidence you're allowed to use is statistically significant evidence. This includes established facts and known processes. What it doesn't include is hunches, feelings, anecdotal evidence, and "faith." Sorry, that's just the way it works. Faith is the belief in something in spite of the evidence, and that's just not allowed in science.

Here is a question that's a little more difficult to approach without bias. Is abortion always immoral? My next post in this series is going to explore this question a little more deeply. I'd love to have some comments. So, if you're reading this, try to approach this question anew. Try to answer it openly and honestly and base your decision on something a little more thoughtful than "the bible says so."

What's The Rumpus Laura Ingalls?

2008-08-23T22:39:00.001-05:00

After two days in the Twin Cities I've had more than my share of traffic, Greek food, and culture. Last night, Gaelic Storm. Tonight, Little House on the Prairie.

Anyone who hasn't seen Gaelic Storm is really missing out. Their music is a really impressive blend of Irish folk, pop, and various instruments from around the world (can you say didgeridoo?). We attended "Music at the Zoo" last night at the Minnesota Zoo and it was amazing. I saw these guys a few years ago in Grand Forks and really liked their music. My wife has been wanting to go ever since she first heard them and last night was our chance. They have improved their show, which was already great, by leaps and bounds. These guys really engage the audience.

Little House on the Prairie was good, maybe even very good. But it was not great. It could definitely have been better than it was. The show was too short. Too many details were glossed over. And everyone was just too damned chipper to be struggling homesteaders in the prairie. I was also annoyed by the meaningless customary standing ovation at the end. I'm probably beating up on the show too much. It really was enjoyable. I just expected more from a show that sold out in the first couple of days received such great reviews. A Midsummer Night's Dream blew it away. Overall, out of 10, I give it a 7. My wife, who's obsession with Little House was the driving force that resulted in our attendance, gives it an 8.

Water on Mars! And in the Zah Gheeng Marsh.

2008-07-31T16:32:00.006-05:00

Sorry I've been away for so long. I've been trudging through the Zah Gheeng Marsh sampling some shallow lakes for fish, plants, water chemistry, and other biologyish things. We had some grueling days and a few hang-ups (like a lost GPS ten miles from nowhere) but overall it was a very productive week. It's a different world out there. Here are a few pics but for the most part we were far too busy to take many photos.

With some luck I'll get a grant to continue this research for a few years. I intend to document the progress here. Oh, and Phoenix found water on Mars. I'm a little late in writing about it but it's a pretty important discovery. Life as we understand it isn't possible without water. If we are to find life on Mars, our chances are that much better with water.

Latest KBSU Letter.

2008-07-13T15:07:00.003-05:00

John wrote a response to the letter from Steve Solien and it was finally published in the Pioneer. Unfortunately, we both sent letters at around the same time and didn't really discuss them beforehand. They are nearly identical in some respects. He chose to finish his letter with the Einstein quote I wanted to use but chose not to:

“The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish.” — Einstein

I'm still waiting for more of a reaction from KBSU than "We don't have to listen to you." Come on folks. Where is the intellectual honesty? How about representing your school a little more respectably?

KBSU. The Saga Continues.

2008-06-27T08:09:00.005-05:00

After the not-so-dramatic conclusion of the on air discussion about "Does God Exist?" with the not-so-informed crazy old man, Adam Steele, a letter to the editor was published in the Bemidji Pioneer by Steve Solien attacking John Kamman's original letter. Mr. Solien's letter is no longer available for free on the Pioneer website, but in short it accused John of blasphemy (a truly victimless crime), claimed that he reacted with condescending and demeaning conduct, and rambled on incoherently for a bit finishing with an Einstein quote. Read the whole letter below the fold if you like. I had to go back and read John's original letter myself because I didn't remember it being quite so "demeaning and condescending." It wasn't. I felt it necessary to respond, so I sent in my own letter. After a few short weeks it was finally published. Check it out here. I had a really tough time deciding which Einstein quote was most appropriate to respond with. I also had a tough time remaining civil, but I'm getting better I think :).

After reading John Kamman’s letter questioning if God exists and if it’s appropriate for public funding, I felt the need to respond. I first was angry to hear another attempt to blaspheme my God. I was also struck at how a non-believer’s conduct is so different from a believer! A believer does not react with condescending, demeaning conduct toward a non-believer. It has something to do with treating others as we like to be treated! It has something to do with love, grace, compassion, of which believers attempt to portray in their life’s decisions and example.Americans’ right to believe in what he does did not come cheap, neither did mine. However, why must he challenge and dismiss my right because I do not agree with him?
I am pleased to see that KBSU is offering this varied program on their media station. In addition, as a taxpayer who helps support higher education and all the beliefs taught by the institution (whether I agree or not), I applaud BSU for their diversity. Furthermore, with some science background myself, I would like to appeal to him that science and religion can reinforce each other, not contradict. Even though Mr. Kamman comes off as a highly intelligent individual, science and faith don’t have to be antagonists. From a scientific perspective, to look at the universe with such a narrow mind, he has to agree that we are not alone. There are things larger and more different than we are, just look around.
Even if there was a bang, there was a beginning, an unexplainable energy or power. Secondly, even though evolution may suggest a relationship with apes, DNA evidence shows a closer relationship with other mammals as well, not just one evolving primate.
In any event, I applaud BSU for allowing John Clayton and “Does God Exist” programming and certainly have reservations about Mr. Kammans’ point of view, but remember, God gave us all a choice, to believe or not. In your case, Mr. Kamman, leave the TV on or turn it off. If you leave it on, I hope the scientist in you will try to open your mind to another point of view. One of the greatest minds ever made the statement that “Science without religion is absurd” — Albert Einstein.
Steve J. Solien.

Sht, Pss, Fck, Cnt, Ccksucker, Mtherfucker, and T*ts

2008-06-24T09:47:00.002-05:00

George Carlin died on Sunday. As an outspoken opponent of organized religion and one hell of a comedian, he will be missed. I really didn't want to edit the "Seven Dirty Words" in the title of this post but search engines are a bitch. In memory of George here are his thoughts on religion:

Awesome New Evolutionary Research.

2008-06-13T13:17:00.002-05:00

Biologist Richard Lenski has something brewing. Actually, trillions of somethings. Since 1989 he has been keeping 12 lines of bacteria reproducing in isolation. That's 40,000 plus generations. What can happen in 40,000 generations? Why, evolution of course. So, has it worked?

Absolutely. The cultures have increased in size, managed to improve their reproductive rates by 75%, and most intriguing, developed the ability to consume citrate. Since e. coli can't eat citrate this is, by some interpretations, a new species. Check out the whole story at The Loom, then add it to your favorites. ;)

OK, OK, I'll vote republican.

2008-06-12T21:45:00.001-05:00

Mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooore.

2008-06-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

Compilation from Fail Blog below the fold.

Did the Templeton Foundation Do Something Right?

2008-06-11T20:39:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm not so sure I'm buying it, but I'm willing to window shop for a while. Apparently the Templeton Foundation, normally associated with the religious right, has decided to reach out to Scientists and Skeptics. They are asking a big question: Does science make belief in god obsolete? If you'd like to read the eSkeptic article, it's here. The essays are available here. I'll warn you though, they are full of fluff.

Christopher Hitchens is predictable but also wrote, predictably, my favorite essay.

Religion, remember, is theism not deism. Faith
cannot rest itself on the argument that there
might or might not be a prime mover. Faith must
believe in answered prayers, divinely ordained
morality, heavenly warrant for circumcision, the
occurrence of miracles or what you will.

He does use the obvious tactic of attacking religion, rather than the concept of god which was the original question. However, every single one of the theses that answered, "No," defended a god that is completely undescribed by any existing religion while many still associated themselves with some particular sect of christianity. Ken Miller, that slippery little devil, describes himself as a christian, yet accepts all that science has to offer. That certainly doesn't fit my definition of christian, Deist maybe. A professor of medicine thinks god is a dandy idea. Medicine, although related to science, is not scientific in many forms. Just like mechanics that use physics everyday are not physicists. Remember, I have a great doctor that doesn't even accept evolution.

Basically there is some sort of implied consensus that science doesn't make a belief in god obsolete as long as we're very careful to define that god as something that is: outside of nature or follows the laws of nature, is unable to intervene, is more of an idea that makes us feel good, and requires no evidence. So, basically as harmless and useless as the Easter Bunny. OK, I can live with that.

Watch Your Cornholes!

2008-06-10T13:36:00.003-05:00

Naturopaths are now being allowed to call themselves doctors in Minnesota. Now you can get your chi balanced, flush your colon, and even have worthless needles stuck into you while sipping green tea in the office of a real official doctor. Medical school? Who the hell needs medical school when they have legislation on their side. You may want to check the qualifications of your next "doctor" before you let them shove anything up there. They just may have absolutely no clue about how science, and therefore medicine, works. Minnesota, you used to be so smart. You had so much going for you. Now you have really embarrassed me. I think you should apologize. Links below the fold.

Here is the Star Trib article.

Check here for some info from PalMD at the denialism blog.

ERV and Pharyngula also have related posts.

There is no such thing as alternative medicine. If it works, it's medicine. If it doesn't it's not.

More Religious Reasoning from Obama

2008-06-10T09:54:00.003-05:00

This is a little old (2006) but if he sticks with this line of thought he's got my vote. Video below the fold.

There is some discussion over at Pharyngula but I'm happy to discuss it here too.

The Boundary Waters.

2008-06-09T21:26:00.005-05:00

Slide show works now but you might have to click on the full screen button depending on your browser.

Short version: awesome trip, coffee is a diuretic and makes you poop, giardia needs 10 minutes of boiling to die (oops), John brang some stuff, Rabi didn't taught us nothing, Matt ties knots, Josh SMASH, Kayla got hungry, Shane cooked, Odin is not really a swimmer. More complete version below the fold.

This post will likely be updated as people send me or remind me of things that are missing so check back later for updates.

As stated earlier the trip was awesome. I forgot how much I loved the BWCA until I spent a few days there. Seven alcohol free days in the wilderness with the same group of 6 people could get on one's nerves but I think overall we all had a great time and would certainly repeat the trip.

Before the actual boundary waters trip we started with a lovely Friday night/Saturday morning of merry making. Not the best idea I've ever had. I'm not sure if we had any Yuri Gagarins (two shots of Vodka, two shots of citrus Rip it) but I know the Tequila came out. We also managed to install an eight-track player in John's Jeep. He was as giddy as a school girl. After that, we had a lovely day of shopping and packing with hangovers. After a few hours of planning seven days worth of lactose free meals while standing in a Walmart aisle Rabi, John, Odin, Kayla, and I went up to Red Lake to get a head start on the body odor accumulation. Fun dogs, a quick paddling test with Odin, and a good night's sleep in a thunderstorm and we were off for the Boundary waters. Oh, not quite. John and Kayla had some half finished paddles to work on. Four hours of sanding later, we were off.

In an effort to be less wasteful, we crammed into one vehicle. This left Kayla, Odin, and myself in the back of Matt's truck from Kelliher to Ely. I could have managed without that one. We camped at a Superior National Forest campground at Fall Lake. It's the first time I've seen a toilet requiring a pin number.

Dinner: Vegan Spaghetti Ingredients: one package wheat spaghetti sun-dried tomatoes and peppers, lots of garlic, oregano, and basil, seasoning salt, 1/2 cup of olive oil. Try using just enough water to cover the pasta, then add the tomatoes and peppers to boil for the last few minutes. Don't drain it. Add a little Parmesan and carb up.

Day one: The trip began at entry point 30 and was miserably cold and rainy. We even went back to Ely to buy some neoprene gloves. It was a good thing too because even with the gloves I lost the feeling in my hands. The wind was terrible but we found a decent camp site and the weather brightened a bit by evening. We even pulled out some instruments and Kayla and I played both of the songs that we know. Luckily John and Rabi were with to fill in. We hauled a backpacking guitar, a mandolin, and John's now infamous "Tornado"(a little blow piano).

Dinner: Carne Asada Burritos Ingredients: 2 lbs Thinly sliced sirloin tip, one onion, 1/2 cup lime juice, one cup water (or beer), 1 packet fajita seasoning (or 1 TBSP Tony Chachere's, 2 cloves garlic, 1 TSP Black pepper, 2 Jalapenos finely chopped)

Marinate ingredients together for a day or more, grill meat, saute onions separately, serve on tortillas with guacamole, salsa, cheese, etc.

Day two: We started with a couple people going back to get Josh. We initially forgot him in the car. Joking. He had to come a day later. We then moved on through lakes 2, 3, and into 4 before we were able to find a site. The site we found was nice. In fact, we didn't have a bad site the entire trip. After some fruitless fishing (Josh did catch a tree on an island and snap his rod in two) we (verb) some (noun) for dinner.

Dinner: Was this cous cous night? Ingredients: couscous cooked in chicken broth instead of water, cashews, craisins, saute'd onions, canned chicken (southwest flavor I think).

Day three: Sticking around in the same camp site for two days was sounding like a good idea, so we spent a day trying to fish for a little dinner. We managed to get a couple hammer handles and held on to them until day four. It was a beautiful day. We even jumped in the water a couple times. John decided that everyone should try to stay in for five minutes but changed his mind after one. Odin went in too, not quite so willingly as I would have preferred though. The poor dog is just not a swimmer.

Dinner: Bear Creek Chili Ingredients: Bear Creek Chili

Day four: After a delicious breakfast of Krusteaz blueberry (lactose free) pancakes, a short paddle followed by a short portage landed us in Bridge Lake. This campsite was probably the worst one that we stayed at and it was great except for the half a dozen trees that had blown down. We were expecting thunderstorms at this point, so we were a little nervous. John slept under the half fallen tree with our bear bag hanging from it with no worries though. It started out as a nice hot day but was raining by mid afternoon and kept on until day five. At some point Josh and I decided to fish a little but fishing turned into exploration of the river heading north. We made it almost to the portage into Delta Lake but the rain started coming down so we headed back to camp, fishless and cold.

Dinner: Fish, finally. Ingredients: Poorly cleaned Northern Pike, crackers, oil, spices

Day five: We spent the beginning of the day just sort of soaking up the rain while we cooked pancakes for about 4 hours over the fire but it cleared up early and we were able to take a little trip with the whole crew to Delta Lake. It's a long paddle through hobbit (or some other mythical creature) country and through a short but rather dicey portage into a very secluded lake. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that we were the first and last visitors this spring. It was well worth the trip. I caught our first Smallmouth Bass, we had a nice hot lunch in the rain and then we made the trek back to camp. My favorite moment of the trip was on that secluded lake with a sort of surreal misty drizzle coming down on us as we paddled back to the portage. It was absolutely beautiful. I wouldn't recommend it during the buggy time of year though.

Dinner: Rice, bean, and chicken quesadillas. Ingredients: generic red beans and rice, canned chicken, onions, veggie cheese, and some flower tortillas. Use a little less water than called for in the beans and rice, slap it on a tortilla with chicken, onions and cheese. Toast it over the fire and enjoy.

Day 6: Early morning with a breakfast of 10 grain cereal and no brown sugar (oops) was followed with a quick paddle to a pretty challenging 170 rod (.53 miles) portage landed us on Rifle Lake for our final campsite. This place is great. The other direction has a 65 rod portage so there is very little traffic. We saw one other group. The fishing was the best of all the lakes. I caught about 50 Bluegills. It was a gorgeous day. We did some swimming, set up a slackline, and tried to eat the remainder of the food. Kayla did her part but some of us were slacking, so we didn't quite polish it off. I gave a little lesson in fish cleaning. Note the photo of the two fish fillets. Guess which one is John's. Patience grasshopper.

Dinner: Fish, lots and lots of fish.

Day 7: Being our last day in the wilderness, I just had to have some me time. I woke up at about 5:30 and went out to enjoy the sunrise. It was behind me, so I didn't actually see the sun except for momentary glimpses through the trees as day came. The colors in spring are altogether as amazing as fall if you really look. I don't think I've ever noticed that until Rabi mentioned it. Thanks Rabi. The bright greens of the fresh tamaracks and cedars against a dark spruce/balsam background was simply breathtaking. It was a glorious and sorrowful morning. I would never have left given the choice.

After sunrise I did a little solo fishing. This is quite manageable in a canoe as long as the wind isn't blowing...at all. It's really quite an enjoyable experience. I highly recommend it. I caught a couple very nice Smallmouth Bass and sent them back home immediately. It was probably the best fishing of the trip.

Breakfast was followed with a group photo and a rapid retreat. For some reason, the Boundary Waters is best left in a hurry. Maybe it helps you forget what you're leaving behind. Kayla carried the canoe through a portage for the first time. 30 rods and no rests. Not bad chica. We stopped for burgers, beer, coffee, and even ice cream. These little comforts helped us remember that we don't hate everything about civilization after all.

Thanks Rabi, Josh, John, Matt, Kayla, and Odin for one of my favorite trips ever. I sincerely hope that we can do it again. Cheers!

Shane

Church is in Session.

2008-06-08T09:21:00.002-05:00

If you're not at church this morning and instead are at home thinking for yourself, take a little time to think about these two videos. Thank you McCain for making my decision so easy. Oh, and you may want to actually try READING the constitution before you make idiotic comments about it's christian content. Way to alienate anyone that's not a christian! Obama sounds more sensible about the separation of church and state than any presidential candidate that I remember. Of course, I'm a young pup that didn't always care.

I guess so far I'm a democrat this year.

Wisdom at "The Office."

2008-06-05T13:29:00.006-05:00

Courtesy of Matt. Video below the fold. It's really only the last 10 seconds or so that's of interest. What a great show.

Michael and Secular Humanism. Sorry, embed won't seem to work.

Violent Acres

2008-06-05T11:07:00.003-05:00

This is a great blog that I've only recently started reading. She doesn't allow comments, so I'd be breaking my own rules if I put her on the blog roll but she is very entertaining. And I absolutely love what she has to say about gift giving. She doesn't exactly pull any punches. Here you go: Violent Acres

Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooore.

Oh, Look. They Get It.

2008-06-04T20:37:00.007-05:00

Except, they don't.

The “We Get It!” Campaign is a national effort to gather one million signatures on a simple statement by which Christians can show that they are united behind Biblical perspectives on the environment and the poor.

What in the hell are "biblical perspectives on the environment?" I think I hear my old friend Ben chiming in here. "I think the man upstairs has a lot more control over these things than you think." Really? Where the f&#k was the man upstairs during the tsunami of 2004? How much control does he have? Are you actually willing to place the future of the planet in the hands of an invisible man in the sky, specifically the one described in the bible? I'm not.

But maybe they have some really good evidence that 99% of the scientific community knows less about science than a bunch of religious kooks. Let's have a look-see.

A recent Barna study of evangelicals found that only 33% consider global warming to be a major challenge.

OK, sure. Yeah. As long as the folks that practice glossolalia, brainwash their children, don't believe in dinosaurs, and commonly claim that the Earth is only 6,000 years old don't think it's a problem, I'm not gonna worry. Right, but I'm sure they have a large group of scientists in their corner too. Yep, 400 or so. WOW. 400 real life scientists? Wherever did you find so many?

But wait Shane, you're missing the most important part. These people are climate change deniers because they care about the poor. Oh, so if I don't buy their load of BS, I must hate poor people. Just so we're clear. This is a large group of folks from the religious right that would willingly force poor unwed mothers to carry an unwanted pregnancy, then refuse to help her pay for it, then blame her when the child grows up to be a criminal and they throw him/her in jail for life or just throw them in the old e-chair (remember, the doobles that voted in our current president) and they are suddenly concerned about the poor? Give me a break. They care about the poor about as much as I care about how many times a day Poseidon jerks off.

Sadly, I'm sure they'll get there 1 million signatures.

Leila Hussein Gunned Down.

2008-06-04T20:32:00.002-05:00

Remember Leila? No? Neither does CNN. Neither does most of the world. She was the mother of the young lady who was murdered by her father for speaking to a British Soldier. The father is still not facing any charges.

After leaving her husband for murdering their daughter in the name of his imaginary friend, she was gunned down. She was attempting to leave Iraq with the help of a women's rights group. The guardian at least bothered to cover the story here. Where is the outcry from the muslim world? We're waiting. Here's your chance. Don't hold your breath folks.

Chenopodium

2008-06-04T09:35:00.011-05:00

John Kamman has a new album out. It's called Chenopodium. Get it? I didn't either. Anyway, it's good and it's free. So, go check out his website here and give it a listen. If you think you would buy it, feel free to donate.

If not, at least remember to buy him a Yuri Gagarin next time you see him.

Back From the BWCAW.

2008-06-04T09:35:00.007-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I was away in the Boundary Waters. Eventually I'll post about the trip with some pics. If you're lucky, I may even post the video of Odin destroying the water lilies.

For now, here is an interesting blog I ran across on Dann's SWCD website called the Minnesota Big Bog Blog. I'm not sure who the author is but there is some great info about the negative effects of peat mining and some rather depressing comments from the public officials involved. Unfortunately this includes Frank Moe and Brita Sailer, people that I would have assumed to be on the side of the environmental groups. I'm not really sure how accurate the statements are but if anyone does, feel free to comment. Frank?

Climate Change Denial: Far too common for comfort.

2008-05-20T20:14:00.001-05:00

Kayla's watching American Idol, so I guess I'll blog. I've been wanting to write about this for a while so I guess I'll get rolling on it.

Working in natural resources, this is an issue that comes up often. My particular program works with water resources. This includes: Water quality, water quantity, and various aspects of biota in water. So, we need to be very aware of the possible implications of climate change. Namely, increased frequency and severity of floods, less stable stream flows, and increases in overall temperature. Lately, I have noticed an unfortunate trend among some of my coworkers and policymakers in our area. They seem to think that there is still some sort of debate to be had about the existence of climate change.

This reminds me of the so called "controversy" in evolution. People without enough information to develop an educated opinion about the situation express their opinion anyway, then defend it vehemently. At this point, learning ceases. They don't seem to care about any new information unless they can use it to win their argument.

A few weeks ago I witnessed a very well informed biologist dissect the ridiculous arguments of a policymaker (we'll call him Ben) piece by piece. It was a near perfect rebuttal and was delivered politely and professionally. Afterward, Ben simply apologized and said, "Thanks for that information, I had no idea." Err, no, that's what he should have said. Instead he responded with, "Well that's one man's opinion." Later when confronted with the question of, "How do you refute the evidence?" he, in a rather hostile voice, demanded, "What evidence?" At this point, I left and set to work e-mailing links to the IPCC report.

In response to his first comment, no sir, you are wrong. That happens to be the opinion of 99% of the scientific community (response to the second is found somewhere below). A quick Wikipedia search will show you that: "no remaining scientific body of national or international standing is known to reject the basic findings of human influence on recent climate." But why the hell would we listen to elitist climatologists about climate change? After all, they only spend 4-8 years in school learning about this stuff and then their entire career studying it. In the slightly paraphrased words of Jon Stewart, "Why would we let elitist pilots tell us how to fly our children around in planes? We know better, step out of the way while I land this thing!"

Listen, THERE IS NO CONTROVERSY among the scientific community about whether or not climate change is occurring. There is also NO CONTROVERSY with respect to the question of whether there is a major anthropogenic influence. Just so this is absolutely clear: 1) Climate change is real. 2) Humans are a major cause.

A recent Skeptic magazine article by Patrick Frank pointed out the flaws in the predictive models used by climatologists and really made my head spin about this issue. After all, many of his points seem valid as far as modeling is concerned. It appears that he doesn't agree with the common interpretation the global temperature increase/CO2 increase correlation. "Correlation is not causation," he states. Can't argue with that can I? Well, yes. Correlating the number of pirates with the increase in global temperatures will give you a significant change in slope but everyone (except loyal followers of the FSM) knows that the correlation is meaningless, so we ignore it. The rather obvious difference is that we KNOW CO2 is a greenhouse gas. This is how correlation studies work when there is no control. You must determine whether the correlation is sensible prior to making the claim.

Unfortunately that doesn't allow you to perform a double blind study but in climatology this is rarely if ever possible. Imagine what we would need. For starters, a population. In this case we would need a population of planets similar to earth. Then, we need to treat some as controls (no excess CO2 in the atmosphere). Now, we measure the changes in average temp on each planet and test for significant changes. Can I stop now? Obviously this is ridiculous. It's never going to happen. So, what are our options?

1. Ignore it until it's too late to do anything.

2. Build models. Models that predict changes in temperature associated with changes in CO2 greenhouse gases can be tested to a point. We can test whether they are capable of predicting current conditions when fed data from the past. It's tricky, it's imperfect, it's the best we've got. The current models, as far as I can discern from the folks at the IPCC, only predict the upward trend in temperature when excess CO2 and other greenhouse gases (Methane, Nitrous Oxide, CFC-12, and others) are added to the model. This makes the correlation even more telling.

The predictions of future effects are admittedly not necessarily accurate. This is where it seems prudent to adhere to the precautionary principle. This is the same principle that makes you wear a helmet, buckle up a seatbelt, and avoid dark alleys. Chances are, none of those things is going to kill you. But why risk it? If the cost outweighed the risk it may make sense. The problem here, is that we don't know the level of the risk so the cost may not be worth it. In fact, our "sometimes inaccurate models that aren't very good but are the best we've got" tend to predict that it is not worth the risk.

I believe the Chardonnay is kicking in so I'll end it here.

If you have your doubts, please go to the IPCC website here for the physical science evidence. If you feel it is too much information to digest, I would argue that you have no business debating the issue. However, you should at least take the time to read the summary for policymakers. And Ben (who actually happens to be two people), if you're out there, if you even have a computer, please check out this report. Maybe then we can have a meaningful conversation about climate change.

Namasté

2008-05-20T15:12:00.005-05:00

What does it mean? Well you could look it up on Wikipedia. Or, you could have a little more patience and watch the following video from Ted.com courtesy of John Kamman. Which, in reality has very little to do with what you'll find on Wikipedia. Please, please, please, take the time to watch this video. It doesn't matter if you're christian, muslim, buddhist, atheist/agnostic, or don't know. I really feel like it's worth your time. If it's not, then this blog probably isn't worth your time. In fact it would really be worth your time to spend an entire day exploring Ted.

Reverend Tom Honey has served as a priest for 20 years. After the tsunami of 2004, he chose to publicly delve into some very difficult questions about god. As a result, he was invited to speak at the Ted Conference. This video is his Ted talk.

This man represents what I mean whenever I say or write "thoughtful Christian." If all religious people were as thoughtful as he, I would have no reason to dislike religion. He asks very thought provoking questions about god's existence and abilities as they relate to his/her moral obligations. He defines himself as a christian but I think buddhist or simply deist (right John?) are far more fitting.

Where is god in all this? Who is god in all this? God is in this with us, or god doesn’t deserve our allegiance anymore.

This statement is so true for me. If there is a god and she is not engaged in the day to day world, then why would I bother serving/praying/worshiping her? If she is engaged in the day to day world and has the power to stop things like a tsunami, her moral standards are not up to par and I am not interested in what she has to offer. Any human with the power to stop the death of 300,000 people would be morally obligated to stop it. Why isn't god?

What if God doesn't do things? What if God is in things? -Tom Honey

Please Stop Claiming Einstein Was christian.

2008-05-18T12:52:00.006-05:00

Not that it really matters if he was. Lots of really intelligent people believe really odd things. Take my doctor...out back and beat some sense into him. But really, if you want to use Einstein as an example of a great scientist who was also a believer, you are going to have to explain this letter.

“the word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish.”

That really doesn't sound very christian to me. In fact, I would say that he is at least as much of an atheist as I am. He consistently described himself as an agnostic but our views on god are identical. I just happen to feel that the word "agnostic" is nothing more than a soft way of breaking it to folks that you don't believe in their imaginary friends. I plan to write about the semantics of agnosticism vs. atheism later when I feel like I have it figured out a little better myself.

Gay Couples Allowed to Marry in Minnesota!

2008-05-18T12:35:00.003-05:00

OK, not quite, but a new citizen penned bill may get things rolling. I love the name of the bill: "The Marriage and Family Protection Act." That sounds like it came oozing right out of an evangelical potluck discussion. Who knows, maybe the fundies will vote for it assuming it's some right wing nut job bill making same-sex marriage illegal. We all know they don't read half of the bills they're presented with anyway. After California passed their bill twice, only to have it vetoed by the terminator, it was eventually supported by the California Supreme Court. The MN Bill actually has no chance of passing but hopefully we'll follow soon.

"I think we're all a little gay." -Trey Parker

Sick.

2008-05-12T09:44:00.004-05:00

I am truly sickened by this. For a man to murder his own daughter for talking to the wrong person takes one of two things: Insanity or religion. I'd like to believe that the case of Abdel-Qader Ali was an isolated case of insanity. However, the facts that he was arrested but released after only two hours, has not lost his job, and was congratulated by police lead me to suspect otherwise. Maybe it was a crime of passion. Perhaps he'll come to his senses and realize what he's done. Maybe not:

'Death was the least she deserved,' said Abdel-Qader. 'I don't regret it. I had the support of all my friends who are fathers, like me, and know what she did was unacceptable to any Muslim that honours his religion,' he said.

Hmm...What she did was unacceptable, but what he did is applauded. Super.

Sitting on a chair by his front door and surrounded by the gerberas and white daisies he had planted in the family garden, Abel-Qader attempted to justify his actions.

'I don't have a daughter now, and I prefer to say that I never had one. That girl humiliated me in front of my family and friends. Speaking with a foreign solider, she lost what is the most precious thing for any woman. 'People from western countries might be shocked, but our girls are not like their daughters that can sleep with any man they want and sometimes even get pregnant without marrying. Our girls should respect their religion, their family and their bodies.

'I have only two boys from now on. That girl was a mistake in my life. I know God is blessing me for what I did,' he said, his voice swelling with pride. 'My sons are by my side, and they were men enough to help me finish the life of someone who just brought shame to ours.'

I'm so glad his imaginary friend approves.

Yes, people from western countries are shocked. We have this ridiculous idea that women are people, and that talking to someone of a different religion is not a death worthy offense. Perhaps we should accept his actions as part of his "culture." Sorry, I'm not very sensitive to culture I, especially when it's used as an excuse for murdering, raping, mutilating, eviscerating, or generally oppressing people.

"Love of God and compassion and empathy leads you to a very glorious place, and science leads you to killing people." -ben 'blows goats' stein.

Because, It's Funny.

2008-05-10T19:04:00.004-05:00

Warning, this is a complete waste of over two minutes of your time.

I just can't help it. My belly hurts from laughing.

Minnesota Students Suspended for Excersising 1st Amendment Rights

2008-05-10T13:09:00.006-05:00

Three eighth grade students were suspended from Dilworth-Glyndon- Felton Junior High School for not standing during the pledge of allegiance. WTF? It seems to me that we at least claim to live in a country that stands for freedom. Somehow this translates to, "You are free to mindlessly repeat an oath of loyalty whenever ordered to do so?" The Minnesota ACLU is already looking into the issue. There is a poll asking whether the punishment was appropriate here. PZ has also touched on the issue here.

In my not-so-humble opinion this is complete and utter bullshit. Forcing students to say the pledge does nothing to instill patriotism (which is overrated anyway). Mindless repetition of an oath is just that, mindless. I stand for the pledge but I do it by choice and I think everyone should take part by choice, not through coercion. I also leave out the "under god" portion. I suppose that means I should get the hell out. I'm really disheartened by some of the comments on the Star Tribune site. Such as:

Yes, this is a free country, but that also means that these families are free to leave if they cannot respect our nation.

So basically, your only free if you do things that the commenter agrees with. Also, a rather large percentage of people thought the punishment should have been harsher. A lot of comments point out that it was a school rule so it should be followed. Please remember, segregation used to be a school rule. Some rules need to be broken.

2008-05-08T07:54:00.003-05:00

This is a video that was sent to me via e-mail. I just thought I'd share it.

Science is not only compatible with spirituality, it is a profound source of spirituality. -Carl Sagan

KBSU Grand Finale

2008-05-07T20:09:00.006-05:00

KBSU was kind enough to allow John Kamman to appear on their program last week to discuss the issues we've been raising regarding that gem of show, "Does god Exist?(DgE)" I mentioned that I found it a bit curious that John was invited and I was not. There was a perfectly legitimate reason of course.

In an e-mail from Amy Borgman:

The studio is located on the second floor of Deputy Hall. Robert Baril will be the interviewer. The only problem with having two guests on at once is that the camera shots get really tight, so I would have to object the idea of having Shane on as well. I'm glad to hear you can make it to the show. See you Friday!

I'll let you judge the honesty of that statement while you watch the video. Warning, it's a bit long (about 20 minutes).

In Rob Baril's defense, his monologue is really quite entertaining. He also does a fair job defending the station with some sensible answers and doesn't seem to care too much for the DgE program. I still don't feel that lack of proper funding is an excuse for proselytism on a publicly funded station.

I do feel that KBSU was a bit dishonest regarding the content of the interview. Although, I'm not sure that bringing on a crazy old man, Adam Steele, to defend a crazy old man, John Clayton, actually accomplished much. Mr. Steele probably should have watched DgE before his appearance. He might have looked like less of an ass. Rob's defense was far superior to any of the uninformed ramblings of Adam Steele.

In closing, none of this can be considered an appropriate response to the issues being raised. KBSU is still airing inappropriate religious crap. DgE is still an embarrassment to BSU and reflects poorly upon the school as an institute of higher learning. Whoever is actually responsible for the program in the first place obviously has an agenda and is hoping we'll go away now. Hope in one hand, shit in the other one, see which one fills up first.

Excuses (mine)

2008-05-06T14:31:00.003-05:00

Sorry folks, I've been horribly busy for the last week. I do have the footage from KBSU and I do intend to comment. However, in the last week I've been working on my house prepping for Kayla's graduation party, SCUBA diving in a rather chilly river for a lost Hydrolab (I'm not the one who lost it but I did find it), working on a dam removal project, re-writing a work plan for EPA, attending dance recitals and baptisms, and watching Family Guy (OK, so that one's lame, but the rest are legitimate excuses right?). Anywhoo, I have community meeting tonight but am hoping to post tomorrow on the KBSU issue and maybe a little something about climate change denialism that has been nagging me lately. Thanks for your patience.

KBSU Response: More Professional, Still Wrong

2008-05-01T20:33:00.005-05:00

KBSU has finally responded to our complaints in a more professional manner. They have also invited John (but not me for some reason) to speak on Friday's show. They have agreed to give me a digital copy, so I plan to post it here. The official response follows.

In response to recent allegations brought to KBSU regarding Does God Exist? we feel it is necessary to explain our position. As you may or may not know, our station is working on an extremely limited budget. While we may not have the best programming, we try to have a variety.

Earlier in the year, we sent out requests to over 60 programs hoping they would be made available to us for free. A select few responded. Among them were Thread Heads, a program about making clothes within a budget, Terra, a nature program, Zen Living, a show offering alternative healthy lifestyles, Indy Mogul, a show about low-budget film making, Pixel Perfect, which features tutorials on editing and enhancing photos, Hometown Baghdad a show by an all-Iraqi crew that tells the stories of three young people trying to survive in Baghdad, Gay USA a weekly news-hour, offering comprehensive news and analysis by and about the LGBTQ community and Does God Exist?, a program about bringing science and religion together. In order to obtain a variety of programming and because of the fact that we cannot fill an entire week with original BSU programming, we decided to play the variety of shows made available to us. We would also like to make it known that we are open to programming suggestions.

We have been airing Free Speech TV, a channel that features world news and issues in the world today for over 2 years now. Democracy Now! has been funding until January of this year. We have been looking for a sponsor that is willing to pay $400 a year to keep Democracy Now! and the other programs we get from Free Speech TV. There has been no luck finding a sponsor so now in May we will lose Free Speech TV.

While we recognize that some people’s opinions differ with that of Does God Exist? we find no reason to remove it from our schedule. It is our view that Does God Exist? has as much of a home on KBSU as Hometown Baghdad orGay USA. While we respect the recent suggestion to take Does God Exist? of the schedule we will continue airing it as it is our right to do so. That right is given to us by the First Amendment.

JonGunnar Gylfason

Station Manager KBSU
jongunnar@kbsu.tv

This response is, in my opinion, much, much, much, much, much more professional than the original on air comedy/tragedy/professional suicide response. However, they are still wrong for a couple of reasons and it's still not going to shut me up.

First, why is it wrong?

1. A limited budget and an attempt to provide variety in no way responds to our complaint about publicly funded proselytism. This issue has had mixed results in the courts. See here and here. One thing is clear. We're not alone in our thinking. Let me clarify something in case that dooble, jason, is still around (if you haven't picked up on it yet, when I don't capitalize something that should be, I do mean it as an insult). WE ARE NOT THREATENING WITH LITIGATION! OK.

2. And this is a big one. "Does god (see, there I did it again) Exist" is NOT "a program about bringing science and religion together." It is a horribly dishonest pile of christian propaganda in which the host/preacher portrays himself as a scientist/former atheist and spews lies and pseudoscience to justify his belief in his imaginary friend (jebus) and convince unwary viewers to follow. No, it is not "some people’s opinions" that differ with "Does god Exist?" it is Scientific facts! He throws in just enough real science to make him believable to people without the science education to refute his bullshit. He even has a newsletter that reads a bit like "Skeptic" magazine and doesn't even mention religion in some issues (he's crafty, I'll give him that). This man is pure evil. If I believed in Satan (capitalized, just in case), this would be him. Oh, wait, I think he just convinced me. Er, no, it was just gas.

Now, why won't I shut up? Well, duh, I'm an Atheist (caps and bold from now on) activist. They will stop hearing from me when I receive a cease and desist order(maybe) or when the program disappears. What I will do is make an effort to find some more appropriate programming at a reasonable cost. Maybe I'll even donate, but only if this proselytizing christian (hee hee, look, now it's tiny) bullshit goes away.

National Day of Reason Today

2008-05-01T07:34:00.003-05:00

Remember, today is the National Day of Reason! Oh yeah, and the national day of prayer. Oh well, go ahead and pray if you don't feel like doing anything useful. PZ has covered this topic rather well here, so I won't waste too much of my time ranting. OK, one quick little rant. This is complete and utter bullshit. I am disgusted that our government is supporting this crap. I'm even more sickened that it's turned into such an evangelical christian specific event. Don't believe me? Check it out here. Be sure to read all the way down to that lovely statement of faith. So much for bringing people of different faiths together. Then again, what do I know, I'm just godless heathen. I think I'll go to work keeping the water clean up here in the north woods. Maybe you can pray it clean for me.

Keeping an Eye on Florida.

2008-04-30T07:57:00.002-05:00

If you haven't been paying attention to Florida, you should be. Antievolution bills are being pushed through the legislature. Apparently the teaching of evolution in SCIENCE classes is "dogmatic." The bills being floated around the house and senate are supposedly aimed at allowing a critique of evolution with no religious connotations that are based on sound science. There's just one little problem. No such critique exists.

This is what happens when politicians are allowed to make decisions that require a bit of scientific background. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, "Proponents said the bill is needed to protect teachers and students from academic reprisal for challenging Charles Darwin's theories, while opponents said it was a veiled attempt at sneaking religion into the public schools." Shall we also protect teachers that would like to challenge the Copernican theory of heliocentrism? How about Newton's theory of gravity and Einstein's relativity? The only real difference is that the church hasn't quite given up on creationism yet. Well, not in Florida anyway. Read the rest on the NCSE website. While your there think about making a little donation.

1,000 Viewers!

2008-04-28T20:44:00.002-05:00

OK, so maybe I owe it all to a combination of KBSU's poor choice of programming and PZ's willingness to link to me but hey, I'll take 'em however I can get 'em. Thanks for reading. Now, to celebrate...a little Star Wars Kid.

.

May the force be with you...

KBSU Responds.

2008-04-27T13:29:00.008-05:00

KBSU has responded to our complaint. Competently? You be the judge.

After seeing the above response on KBSU we immediately sent the following and began to lament the fact that we had no digital version to post. Luckily, someone took the time to post it on Youtube. Somehow I doubt that it was KBSU. Our letter:

Dear KBSU Representative:

As we are sure you are aware, over the past few days complaints have been submitted to KBSU, The Northern Student, The Bemidji Pioneer, and MPR regarding the program, “Does God Exist?” In case you are not aware, these complaints have been posted on the blog, “Seeking Aponia,” and the top-ranked science blog, “Pharyngula.” Pharyngula has a very large and extremely active readership in the science and education community. We feel an appropriate and immediate response would be prudent.

During your programming you responded to the complaints in question by claiming that the purpose of the program was to make amends for being too liberal. This is no excuse for proselytizing on a station run with public funding. You also pointed out that we, as viewers, have the right to change the channel. We are well aware of the fact that the programs that we watch are a personal choice. This does not, however, change the fact that this programming, in our opinion, is a direct violation of the 1^st amendment and a poor reflection on the image of BSU as a place of higher learning. “Does God Exist” is a program laden with religious bigotry and distorted science that attempts to prove the existence of the Christian god. Whether or not we are correct in our assumption that the airing of this program is illegal, there is no doubt that it is irresponsible. The program does injustice to the caliber of education available at BSU, and is entirely inappropriate for a secular institution of higher education.

It is our opinion that KBSU should, at a minimum, respond to the online and/or printed discussions taking place. We will happily host and or link to, any KBSU response on the Seeking Aponia blog.

Sincerely,

Shane Bowe

John Kamman

Getting Naked for a Cause.

2008-04-27T12:45:00.003-05:00

It may actually work if enough people that look like I do get naked. I know I'd make changes in my life to avoid seeing that. Courtesy of Nena.

MN Atheist Talk

2008-04-27T10:26:00.003-05:00

In case you don't know, MN Atheist Talk is on Air America (AM 950) Sundays at 9. It's not always the most exciting radio show. The hosts can be a little stuffy but it's what we've got and their intentions and overall messages are good. If you are inclined to check them out, you can listen here. Today the discussion included the National Day of Prayer, Faith-Based Initiatives, and Intercessory Prayer.

The National Day of Reason is a direct response to the National Day of Prayer. Which, it could reasonably be argued, is in violation of the 1st amendment (this is not going to be the centroid of my blog). It is a call to the secular community to make themselves visible and celebrate reason, a far more useful tool than prayer. Check it out, maybe even endorse the idea. I just did. Faith-Based Initiatives were discussed a bit but I missed too much to recap here.

Inevitably discussion of prayer will lead to the question of efficacy. Most folks will simply take it for granted that prayer works, whether this is due to placebo effects or something more. If you take the time to do your homework, you'll find out that this simply is not the case. A commonly cited story is that prayer was able to increase fertility in women during a Columbia University study. Alas, the results were fraudulent. Check it out yourself it like: here.

The most comprehensive and rigorous study on intercessory prayer was discussed a bit. The actual article isn't available unless you'd like to either pay for it or take a trip to the library, but Scientific American sums it up pretty well here. One very interesting aspect of the study is the fact that it was conducted by a team of clergy and at least one doctor that has been sympathetic to the idea of the power of prayer in the past. So, what's the verdict?

"The only statistically significant blip appeared in a subgroup of patients who were prayed for and knew it. They experienced a higher rate of postsurgical heart arrhythmias (59 versus 52 percent of unaware subjects)."

So, go ahead and continue praying. It will continue not working. I'll continue not believing.

KBSU update.

2008-04-24T18:27:00.005-05:00

I just watched my first episode of "Does God Exist?" produced by John Clayton. He is an incredible fuckwit. Although I'm bothered by the fact that he makes these videos in the first place, I'm far more upset that the program is being shown on KBSU, our local STATE University station. I've posted a small sample of his idiocy below the fold.

My friend John Kamman has taken the first step here. His letter has also been published in the campus newspaper here (it's the second letter). I couldn't find a youtube video of the episode I watched today. I'm also not sure I could sit through another minute of it. It had me absolutely seething. Today's entire episode was based on his amazement that life happens to exist in a universe suitable for life. I'm sure he's also amazed that his arms are long enough to reach his hands. If you have any interest in helping us get this program removed, please contact someone in the Mass Comm department here. Unfortunately KBSU doesn't have a current contact person available. How convenient.

eSkeptic

2008-04-24T16:19:00.005-05:00

If you're not familiar with the magazine "Skeptic" or its online counterpart "eSkeptic" now is a great time to go check it out here. Be sure to check last week and this week both for a great set of articles entitled "Expelled Exposed."

Michael Shermer and crew do an excellent job thoroughly dissecting Ben Stein's pile of shit propaganda film, "Expelled." Ben is making a real effort to convince folks that Darwin was a major influence of Hitler's and making a real jackass of himself in the process. The open letter by Richard Dawkins to a mislead viewer is, as always, eloquently written and packed with excellent information. If you've heard the argument that Darwin caused the holocaust, you need to read this letter. In case you don't want to dig through the links to find it, you can check it out here.

KBSU: Church Sponsored Station?

2008-04-24T13:36:00.007-05:00

KBSU is a television station run by Bemidji State University. This, of course means that state tax dollars are used to provide funding for programming. I haven't seen the program "Does god Exist?" but a trustworthy source (John Kamman) has assured me that it is a blatant violation of the requirement of a separation of church and state. The program amounts to state sponsored Christian proselytism. John has sent a letter to KBSU and agreed to allow me to post it, so here it is:

To the editor:

Over the past several weeks, I have been extremely disappointed to see a program entitled "Does God Exist" regularly aired on KBSU's television station, often up to four episodes per day. The program itself is a misguided series of "educational" videos supporting the Christian message under the erroneous guise of science. The constant airing of this program is a blatant misuse of a public funding, a direct and illegal violation of the first amendment and an insult to scientists, atheists and those of other faiths.

I have attempted to contact KBSU via email and telephone but have not yet received a response. I would like to use this opportunity to publicly request that KBSU cease the broadcast of such deliberate –and illicit- proselytizing. In one "lesson" entitled "Why I left Atheism", John Clayton, the host, refers to atheism as a "poor judgment and foolish mistake…[taking] really rather idiotic positions." As a graduate student of biology at BSU and a devout atheist/agnostic, I find it entirely inappropriate for a publicly-funded student organization to partake in the pseudo-scientific and disturbingly overzealous preaching that the program "Does God Exist" embodies. I would ask those in the position of managing KBSU to make better broadcasting decisions in the future.

Sincerely,

John Kamman.

I'll post any follow-up that should occur.

Sexpelled

2008-04-21T13:23:00.002-05:00

I would like to celebrate the release and tremendous failure of Expelled this weekend with a free showing of "Sexpelled," a far more entertaining and equally intellectual film.

As far as the failure mentioned above, Expelled made about $3.1 million over the weekend. I would expect that to be recovered through the ensuing lawsuit regarding the copyright infringement in the film. Did I mention that Ben Stein blows goats?

Smarter than my doctor?

2008-04-20T21:45:00.003-05:00

No, I don't necessarily think I'm smarter than my doctor. I do, however, know that I understand the processes involved in evolution more fully than he does. I went in for an annual physical on Friday. It was all the usual physical stuff for the most part, "How are you feeling? Taking any meds? Drop your pants, turn your head and cough. Blah, blah, blah." The notable part happened when he noticed that I was reading book on evolution (The Ancestor's Tale, Richard Dawkins). After hearing that it was an evolution book, he sat there for a few seconds quietly and then pointed to his watch. He said, "You see this watch? I just found it. It washed up on shore after just randomly assembling itself in the ocean and then I found it." This particular argument against evolution is the "Irreducible Complexity" argument and it has been well refuted by the scientific community.

I was speechless. What was I supposed to say to this guy who has so obviously ignored the fundamentals of evolutionary theory? I mean, he's my family doctor and was minutes away from checking me for testicular cancer? This is not the most comfortable time to start an argument. It's difficult to maintain that feeling of dominance when you know he's about to tell you to drop your pants and you're going to listen. More importantly, why doesn't he know? He's a well respected MD who consistently prescribes the most scientifically sound treatments appropriate to his patients' ailments. How is there such a disconnect between his professional life and his acceptance of evolution?

I think there are really two things going on here. The first is the obvious one. His religious beliefs were established long before any other thought processes were able to take hold in his brain. He's an intelligent guy but instead of looking at life through the eyes of a skeptic as he does medicine, he uses his intelligence to win his side of the argument (his side being the intelligent design side). In reality he's not winning an argument with anyone but himself, but that's all it takes.

The second thing occurring is that evolution and development is not his specialty, medicine is. What scares me is that these two disciplines are not far apart and still he is unable to make the connection. How then, can we expect politicians, teachers, school board members and the like to make the appropriate decisions regarding the teaching of intelligent design? Why should anyone other than scientists be able to determine what should be taught in science classrooms? If you think I'm beating a dead horse, take a look at what's going on with Florida's science standards. The world is laughing at us, especially at well educated yet still ignorant people like my doctor.

Sunday mourning.

2008-04-20T21:40:00.004-05:00

That's it, the hockey season is over for the Minnesota Wild. On the bright side, I won't feel like I'm married to "Rainman" when I hear my wife rattling off pointless hockey statistics in the background of an otherwise normal conversation. Still, I am a little sad. We'll see you next year boys.

In the blue corner: Jenny McCarthy, in the red corner: people with brains.

2008-04-18T10:34:00.005-05:00

CNN dedicated a significant proportion of their coverage to autism a while back. Unfortunately, that coverage included Jenny McCarthy and her amazing cure for autism. Which includes the sometimes dangerous practice of chelation. She, like many parents with autistic children, has attributed her son's autism to vaccinations, based largely on her degree from Google University.

Much of the hype surrounding the autism-vaccine connection is related to an apparent increase in autism diagnoses in the past couple of decades. This increase does correlate well with the increased number of vaccinations that children are receiving. Perhaps Jenny could Google "correlation does not imply causation." Better yet, here's the Wiki link. Here is a more fact based analysis of increased diagnosis rates by Steve Novella, a neurologist at Yale. Here is some more information about vaccine myths.

I don't know what causes autism, but I do know that Jenny McCarthy is not the first person I'd ask. Please take the time to talk to people that really know. If you don't trust your doctor, get a new one. Don't put your child's life in danger because some quack tells you to chelate. The point is, ask doctors about medicine, climatologists about climate change, and playboy centerfolds about who to sleep with to make you famous.

We mourn for the Wild.

2008-04-18T07:55:00.002-05:00

After an intense and well played first two periods, the Minnesota Wild had a disappointing 3-2 loss to the Avs. I'm wondering if I should have done something a little more productive than watch hockey last night. Perhaps I'll take up knitting.

God loves Minnesotans, hates Africans.

2008-04-16T15:35:00.002-05:00

Apparently god still has work for some 7th day adventist missionaries from Minnesota to do. He must have been done with the 36 locals that were crushed and burned by the crash. What was it that I didn't like about religion again? I forget, I'll think of it later.

Ben Stein blows goats.

2008-04-16T14:24:00.003-05:00

This is old news on the blogosphere, but I just saw a preview on the History channel and it made me a little nauseous, so I've got to do my part. If you haven't heard of the movie "Expelled," please go here. If you want to see what the movie producers have to say about it, you'll have to find their site on your own. I'm not linking to that pile of crap. Scientific American and Time both reviewed the film and weren't impressed.

P.Z. Myers of Pharyngula has been keeping tabs on the movie and its progress and has been extremely critical. Which is fitting, since he was interviewed for the film under false pretenses and then kicked out of a screening. I am continually amazed by the dishonesty of the ID movement. If you need a refresher regarding the nastiness they've been up to, check out the PBS "Judgement Day" web page on Kitzmiller v. Dover. Will these people never stop?

What's this blog about?

2008-04-16T13:00:00.000-05:00

To be honest, I haven't really decided yet. I'm hoping that I'll be able to bring together some of my interests, namely science and religion/spirituality, have some discussions, and maybe gain a clearer understanding of other people's views as well as my own. Feel free to comment, debate, and question anything that's posted.

Seeking Aponia

Tim Minchin defends science and skepticism.

Happy Holidays!!!

Developing a Sense of Place

Feeling Small?

Homeopathic Christianity.

Congratulations Vermont!

Healing Touch??? WTF is Healing Touch?

CNN Saves Fargo!!!!!

Jenny McCarthy Body Count.

Ray Comfort...An Intelligent Person's Nightmare.

The Banana Video.

I Saw Dawkins Too!

Obama and Science.

Happy Birthday PZ!

Dawkins on MPR.

What if god disappeared?

Mr. Darwin, a Gift to You.

Happy Darwin Day!

Top Atheist/Agnostic Blogs

All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dysfunctional Serial Killer?

The latest holocaust denier bullshit.

I'm back.

Happy Festivus!

Happy Solstice Eve!

Egnor is Wrong = Egnor is Wrong, and "Why I Just Might Need to Fire my Doctor."

Marriage (măr'ĭj): The Legal Union Of A Man And As Many Women As He Can Afford.

John Stewart Takes Huckabee to Task on Gay Marriage.

Geography, Apparently Not My Thing.

Prop 8: The Musical

Peter Schiff or Ben Stein?

The Only Homeopathic Remedy I Will Ever Recommend.

Axolotls, Gay Animals, and Geckos, Oh My!

Hobbitsssesss.

Child Abuse Blog

Robert F. Kennedy = Bad Science

Wassup?

Jane, You Ignorant Slut.

Suckers.

10 Myths About Autism.

Introducing: Pandora

You Don't Have to Buy it for Me Now.

I Used To Like John McCain.

The Fall of McCarthyism!

The Right to Die.

Let's Keep Pork on the Table...for now.

OMG UR Fat!

Abort Palin

Sam Harris on Palin.

Tragic Elk Death by Barbaric Northern Tradition.

The End is Near!

Science Will Kill Us All...in 2012.

Obama: Science Debate 2008

The Slow Steady Shift...Left. (part one)

What's The Rumpus Laura Ingalls?

Water on Mars! And in the Zah Gheeng Marsh.

Latest KBSU Letter.

KBSU. The Saga Continues.

Sh*t, P*ss, F*ck, C*nt, C*cksucker, M*therfucker, and T*ts

Awesome New Evolutionary Research.

OK, OK, I'll vote republican.

Did the Templeton Foundation Do Something Right?

Watch Your Cornholes!

More Religious Reasoning from Obama

The Boundary Waters.

Church is in Session.

Wisdom at "The Office."

Violent Acres

Oh, Look. They Get It.

Leila Hussein Gunned Down.

Chenopodium

Back From the BWCAW.

Climate Change Denial: Far too common for comfort.

Namasté

Please Stop Claiming Einstein Was christian.

Gay Couples Allowed to Marry in Minnesota!

Sick.

Because, It's Funny.

Minnesota Students Suspended for Excersising 1st Amendment Rights

KBSU Grand Finale

Sht, Pss, Fck, Cnt, Ccksucker, Mtherfucker, and T*ts