- Money, most of the time will triumph over the will of the people.
- Nominating the loser of the previous election to run again for the same spot he lost in the first place isn't the brightest thing in the world to do.
- It's going to have to get a lot worse before things get better.
- It's super easy to coax people into voting against their self interest.
- Conservatives and corporations will pour even more money in the upcoming presidential race.
- Voter suppression works.
- Most of the time, given ample opportunity to do so, the Democratic will shot themselves in the foot.
Showing posts with label a tale of idiots told by a monkey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label a tale of idiots told by a monkey. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
What the failed recall in Wisconsin proves
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Not that sort
The professor from my alma mater who is speaking at the creationist conference that's going to be held in here in Johnson City sent me a message via Facebook. Here it is in it's entirety:
I was sorry to read your posted blog. I wish you had contacted me directly. I do not believe that "creationism" as offered by the ICR is an acceptable view of how our universe and planet came to be. As an astronomer and physicist I am confident of the scientific method as a way of determining truth about such things. I am speaking at the conference to speak against the "young Earth model. I'm not sure how you got the idea that I am a creationist of the sort presented by the Institute for Creation Research. I will present scientific evidence for a 13.7 billion year old universe and a 4.0 billion year old Earth. I hope you will attend.
Sincerely,
Ray Bloomer
He's mad at me for assuming that he's an anti evolution young earth creationist. As for why I assumed that here's my defense:
But now that I think about it, and now that I see 'Dr.' Bloomer's response to my first blog post, the fact is, I'm still livid. He's very patronizing when he assures me that it's okay for him to speak at this event because he's not 'that kind' of creationist. He's the more rational moderate kind which still accepts supernatural explanations for scientific questions. He not the kind that insists that the earth is a little over 6000 years old but he's still the kind that insist that some supreme being who none of us ever saw or can ever be sure exists made everything just for us. He's not your old school 'Of Panda's and People' kind of creationist, he's the more cuddly science accepting creationist because after all, he's got a doctorate from a real live citadel of higher learning, just like Dr. Jason Lisle, the evolutionary theory refuter does.
It's all well and good that 'Dr." Bloomer says he's going to "present scientific evidence for a 13.7 billion year old universe and a 4.0 billion year old Earth," the thing is the people who are attending this conference aren't the type of people who accept science or scientific evidence. Seriously, if they deny the validity of radio carbon dating of fossils and believe that those same fossils were planted by Satan in order to trick us into believing evolution, which by their own admission they think is 'atheistic,' then honestly, who the fuck is this Bloomer guy trying to fool? The rubes and religious zealots who will be in attendance at this conference will hoot and holler him off the stage when he tries to present scientific evidence that refutes their Biblical world view. The fact that he's a believer won't be any consolation to the slack jawed yokels and home schoolers who will be in the audience lapping up this milk of idiocy.
The final indignity in this sordid tale of academic malfeasance is that by agreeing to speak, even if he does so as a counterpoint to the evolution deniers and creationists, at this conference he drags the name and reputation of my alma mater through the mud. He gives my old college a black eye because by speaking at this fiasco he makes it look like King College is a place of higher learning that accepts and endorses the quackery known as creationism. The reason this pisses me off so much is that in the late '70' my alma mater fell on hard economic times and it nearly went under, but it was saved with an infusion of cash from a shitload of conservative, both politically and religiously, Presbyterians. These fundamentalists made the institution over into a more strict Bible based college at the expense of academics, which is to say that they wanted Jesus injected into every subject at the expense of facts. Slowly however things changed after I left in 1985 and while they maintained their religious affiliation they saw the error of their ways and they shifted the focus off salvation and back onto academics. And as a result their reputation began to rebound and until this Bloomer incident my old college was well regarded in academic circles. But thanks to Bloomer's creationism and his embrace of dubious characters like Ham and Lisle, that reputation may once again be in the shitter.
I stand by my original post and the by sentiment expressed therein. And I stand by my opinion that Bloomer is an idiot for appearing at this anti science anti evolution event.
I was sorry to read your posted blog. I wish you had contacted me directly. I do not believe that "creationism" as offered by the ICR is an acceptable view of how our universe and planet came to be. As an astronomer and physicist I am confident of the scientific method as a way of determining truth about such things. I am speaking at the conference to speak against the "young Earth model. I'm not sure how you got the idea that I am a creationist of the sort presented by the Institute for Creation Research. I will present scientific evidence for a 13.7 billion year old universe and a 4.0 billion year old Earth. I hope you will attend.
Sincerely,
Ray Bloomer
He's mad at me for assuming that he's an anti evolution young earth creationist. As for why I assumed that here's my defense:
- He's appearing at a conference that celebrates, nay, champions creationism and that actively seeks to deny and 'debunk' evolution.
- In the mission statement of the conference there is this quote: "Before a person can come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ a basic question has to be answered: “Who made me?” Before one can believe that God is the Redeemer, God must be understood to be the Creator. This is what the Origins Conference is about--exploring the evidence for God as Creator. By attending the conference, you will be equipped to challenge the problems created by the atheistic evolution worldview that is so prevalent. This conference will not only be a personal help to you, but will also give you the tools to share the answers to these tough life questions with friends and family."
- The conference in question is being spearheaded by Ken Ham, the man behind the anti science anti evolution group Answers in Genesis. Hamm is also the man behind the creationist museum which not only actively discourages people from asking questions which question the validity of the 'science' on which they base their museum, it also, despite all evidence to the contrary, insists that humans and dinosaurs not only walked the earth at the same time, they were BFFs.
- Also headlining this conference is Dr. Jason Lisle, a man who bills himself as an astrophysicist and refuter of evolutionary theories.
But now that I think about it, and now that I see 'Dr.' Bloomer's response to my first blog post, the fact is, I'm still livid. He's very patronizing when he assures me that it's okay for him to speak at this event because he's not 'that kind' of creationist. He's the more rational moderate kind which still accepts supernatural explanations for scientific questions. He not the kind that insists that the earth is a little over 6000 years old but he's still the kind that insist that some supreme being who none of us ever saw or can ever be sure exists made everything just for us. He's not your old school 'Of Panda's and People' kind of creationist, he's the more cuddly science accepting creationist because after all, he's got a doctorate from a real live citadel of higher learning, just like Dr. Jason Lisle, the evolutionary theory refuter does.
It's all well and good that 'Dr." Bloomer says he's going to "present scientific evidence for a 13.7 billion year old universe and a 4.0 billion year old Earth," the thing is the people who are attending this conference aren't the type of people who accept science or scientific evidence. Seriously, if they deny the validity of radio carbon dating of fossils and believe that those same fossils were planted by Satan in order to trick us into believing evolution, which by their own admission they think is 'atheistic,' then honestly, who the fuck is this Bloomer guy trying to fool? The rubes and religious zealots who will be in attendance at this conference will hoot and holler him off the stage when he tries to present scientific evidence that refutes their Biblical world view. The fact that he's a believer won't be any consolation to the slack jawed yokels and home schoolers who will be in the audience lapping up this milk of idiocy.
The final indignity in this sordid tale of academic malfeasance is that by agreeing to speak, even if he does so as a counterpoint to the evolution deniers and creationists, at this conference he drags the name and reputation of my alma mater through the mud. He gives my old college a black eye because by speaking at this fiasco he makes it look like King College is a place of higher learning that accepts and endorses the quackery known as creationism. The reason this pisses me off so much is that in the late '70' my alma mater fell on hard economic times and it nearly went under, but it was saved with an infusion of cash from a shitload of conservative, both politically and religiously, Presbyterians. These fundamentalists made the institution over into a more strict Bible based college at the expense of academics, which is to say that they wanted Jesus injected into every subject at the expense of facts. Slowly however things changed after I left in 1985 and while they maintained their religious affiliation they saw the error of their ways and they shifted the focus off salvation and back onto academics. And as a result their reputation began to rebound and until this Bloomer incident my old college was well regarded in academic circles. But thanks to Bloomer's creationism and his embrace of dubious characters like Ham and Lisle, that reputation may once again be in the shitter.
I stand by my original post and the by sentiment expressed therein. And I stand by my opinion that Bloomer is an idiot for appearing at this anti science anti evolution event.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Academia is no place for idiots
A professor of physics and astronomy from my old college is participating in a conference that is to celebrate creationism. He's not doing it to tell these creationists and evangelical zealots they're dead wrong, nope. He's doing it because he's on their side.
In a related development all degrees in physics and astronomy from King College in Bristol TN just became worthless.
Friday, January 28, 2011
There's no easy fix for stupid
Teabagger darling Mike Lee, the junior Republican US Senator from Mormon Cuntry, says that if we tone down our overheated political rhetoric then the Tuscon shooter wins. Ummm, hang on, I thought that guy was just a lone deranged nut who had no political ideology, so what the fuck is it to him if we tone down the calls for people to be killed or maimed if they disagree with us politically? Hey Mr. Lee, he wins if people like Palin, Beck, Limbo, Malkin, and the rest of your hate radio pals on the right don't tone down their hateful screeds. The only thing that will come of continually calling the President, who is a die hard corporate conserva-Dem by the way, a Marxist who is hell bent on destroying our country is more violence and hatred.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Bush family memories
Laura Bush wants to remember her early days in the bosom of the Bush family but she can't due to the fact that she had to stay stinkin' drunk in order to tolerate being the newest member of the Bush family.
Jenna and Tonic remember Granny Bush chasing them around while threatening to put them in a jar with her dead miscarried fetus.
George Bush senior remembers the days when he bombed Iraq and it looked like he was a shoo in to be elected to a second term.
George remembers the day Laura gave birth to Jenna and Tonic and how he had to stop his mother from putting them in a jar for 'safekeeping.'
And the whole gang remembers when they were told by a lawyer that waterboarding, negligent homicide, and letting wolverines loose in day care facilities was legal.
Nothing like a good ol' self serving memoir by the worst president ever to get the old Bush family memories going.
Jenna and Tonic remember Granny Bush chasing them around while threatening to put them in a jar with her dead miscarried fetus.
George Bush senior remembers the days when he bombed Iraq and it looked like he was a shoo in to be elected to a second term.
George remembers the day Laura gave birth to Jenna and Tonic and how he had to stop his mother from putting them in a jar for 'safekeeping.'
And the whole gang remembers when they were told by a lawyer that waterboarding, negligent homicide, and letting wolverines loose in day care facilities was legal.Nothing like a good ol' self serving memoir by the worst president ever to get the old Bush family memories going.
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