Off That (the Rationalist Anthem)

News From Around The Blogosphere 3.19.10

1. Regenerating limbs may be simply a matter of switching off a single gene – I wouldn’t take this story too seriously just yet but the research certainly sounds like it’s worth following. I just hope it doesn’t turn us into The Lizard:

But new research suggests the ability to regenerate isn’t based on something newts and flatworms have that we don’t; rather, it’s something we do have that’s keeping us from regenerating tissues. Researchers think a gene called p21 may control regenerative healing, and that by switching it off, humans could perform our own regeneration.

2. Skeptics to storm Parliament on Tuesday – It’s exciting to see the skeptical movement building a potentially powerful lobby to effect changes in public policy towards a more science and reason-based position. On Tuesday, skeptics in the UK will test the power of this lobby by organizing at the House of Commons to demand libel reform. Of course this is an issue that is not only serious for residents of the UK but everyone who criticizes advocates of bad ideas on the internet because from what some have told me, they too are potential targets of libel suits.

3. Student challenges unconstitutional policy in Alexandria High School in Alabama – The school performs daily Christian prayers over the schools P.A. system. He left a voicemail with the superintendent and contacted the ACLU. . .and it worked. The school is no longer performing the prayers. A job well done.

4. Ellen gives Constance McMillen $30,000 scholarship – I love this story. It shows that those who stand up against adversity can benefit from having the courage of their convictions and standing up for their principles.

5. California Bar now investigating queen Birther Orly Taitz – Another happy story. Taitz, who refuses to budge on her irrational belief that Obama is not a natural born citizen despite undeniable evidence to the contrary, continues to fight the $20,000 fine issued on her for making frivolous filings. And now she runs the risk of actually being disbarred. We can hope right. Of course it’s pretty silly that she even gets to call herself a lawyer given her pathetic credentials. Of course her lawyer is pushing the conspiracy angle and calling this a “witch hunt” but really, if she was an actual threat to the evil president’s position and they’d gone this far to cover up his origins, don’t you think they’d find a far more efficient way of getting Taitz out of the way. And you just know that whatever the outcome, she’ll just insist that the Bar Association is in on the evil conspiracy. So since she’ll attack them no matter what they might as well throw the book at her and make sure she’s never allowed to practice law again.

Not really the BSA

6. Catholics not the only ones covering up abuse - The Mormon dominated Boy Scouts of America (BSA) are facing a lawsuit claiming they too covered up child abuse.

The Boy Scouts of America has long kept an extensive archive of secret documents that chronicle the sexual abuse of young boys by Scout leaders over the years.The “perversion files,” a nickname the Boy Scouts are said to have used for the documents, have rarely been seen by the public, but that could all change in the coming weeks in an Oregon courtroom.

The lawyer for a man who was molested in the 1980s by a Scout leader has obtained about 1,000 Boy Scouts sex files and is expected to release some of them at a trial that began Wednesday. The lawyer says the files show how the Boy Scouts have covered up abuse for decades.

Well what do you expect from a cult who once had a leader named “Brigham Young”? Still the BSA are lightweights compared to the Catholic Church, which is known for having raped at least over a half million kids. And keep in mind that that’s only that we know of and the Church has proven capable of keeping this stuff secret for decades.

Billy Zane or inzane?

Holy crap! Mr. Zane, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone watching this video is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may the Flying Spaghetti Monster have mercy on you.

I haven’t heard incoherent rambling like that since Miss North Carolina:

I mean good Zeus. Did anyone understand what the hell Billy Zane is talking about? And are there even lead characters in film and television who aren’t going through transitions in their lives? That’s sort of the definition of drama and narrative, Billy. But bravo on that vacuous answer to the god question. There’s a whole lot of brain dead morons out there who eat that stuff up.

This also makes a great example of what’s the harm in nonsense. Billy Zane helps only one charity and it’s going towards total garbage that helps no one. Good job, Billy.

Enough with the invisibility cloak hype already!

Notice the invisible bump

Okay, this is going to be a short one. I’ve written about the amazing invisibility cloak media hype before. It’s back in the news again and again there’s absolutely nothing new to report:

Researchers at Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology report they were able to cloak a tiny bump in a layer of gold, preventing its detection at nearly visible infrared frequencies.

Oh, did they?!

A tiny bump in a layer of gold?! They turned it invisible?!

WOW, THAT’S SO INCREDIBLY–hmm, what’s the opposite of exciting?

From Grimm’s fairy tales to Harry Potter, the cloak of invisibility has played a major role in fiction. Now scientists have taken a small but important new step toward making it reality.

Wow! It IS like Harry Potter. . .only you know, boring. Kids will be thoroughly thrilled about having the ability to cloak a tiny bump in a layer of gold, preventing its detection at nearly visible infrared frequencies.

Just think the all the amazing practical applications that will have. We’ll finally be able to hide pennies! Wait, what? That’s copper? Never mind. Just read what I wrote the last time.

News From Around The Blogosphere 3.17.10

1. Hawaii considering new law to ignore Obama Birthers - But isn’t that exactly what you’d expect them to do if Obama was really from Kenya/Canada/Mars? Kidding. Yeah, as silly as the Birthers seem they really do waste a lot of public officials’ time that could be better spent actually doing their jobs. And most of those wasting the time of Hawaiian officials aren’t even residents of the state:

But the state still gets between 10 and 20 e-mails seeking verification of Obama’s birth each week, most of them from outside Hawaii, Kim said Tuesday.

A few of these requesters continue to pepper the Health Department with the same letters seeking the same information, even after they’re told state law bars release of a certified birth certificate to anyone who does not have a tangible interest. Responding wastes time and money, Kim said.

Both Fukino and the state registrar of vital statistics have verified that the Health Department holds Obama’s original birth certificate.

So considering the public has already seen official legal documents proving Obama’s Hawaiian birth, these people still refuse to accept the overwhelming evidence, and this is a frivolous waste of time, money, and resources I support this bill. Now if only we could pass a bill to get the federal government to ignore creationists, antivaxxers, and 9/11 deniers.

2. Latinos fleeing Catholicism – And the number of Latinos who claim to be unaffiliated with any religion has increased from 6.4% to 12.4% between 1990 and 2008.

3. Atheist ad vandalized – Fortunately, it wasn’t vandalized all that well:

You can tell a real criminal mastermind was at work here.

Is Kristie Alley’s new weight loss plan a Scientology trap?

Yup, Kristie Alley has forsaken Jenny Craig and is now promoting a brand new weight loss plan. I’m sure that it must work because Kristie Alley would never promote a weight loss plan that didn’t and she has such a great track record for these sorts of things. Which is obvious since she’s still fat to this very day.

Kristie Alley after "successful" weight loss plan

The very fact that she’s now promoting a new weight loss plan should speak volumes of how successful Jenny Craig was in the long-term and, for that matter, how successful any weight loss plan other than simple calorie restriction (the only scientifically proven method) is in the long-term.

But anyway, as clearly unreliable as Alleys’ weight loss endorsements have already proven (which didn’t stop Oprah from letting Alley use her show to promote), let’s take a look at this “Organic Liaison.”

Anonymous have found links between Organic Liaison LLC and Scientology — the firm’s accountant, Saul B Lipson, is a known Scientologist whose company is approved by the church and based near its headquarters in Clearwater, Florida. Along with utter quacks like Hollywood mystical doctor Soram Khalsa, the board features Michelle Seward, an active Scientologist.

While this is not enough to support Anonymous’ claim that money from Organic Liaison will be channeled directly into the church, it does lend credence to the assertion that the program itself is, to some extent, based on a Scientology plan called the purification rundown. This was prescribed by L. Ron Hubbard himself, but criticized for being at best bullshit that claims to detox through vitamins, minerals, drinking vegetable oil and sitting in saunas, and at worst dangerous.

. . .

Organic Liaison offers to combine an organic food diet with “organic and natural diet supplements that replenish your body with essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients without the pangs of starvation or cravings you may have felt on other diet plans.”

It’s certainly priced like a Scientology scam. Membership costs $10 per month, or $89 for a year, and the package of supplements, called Rescue Me, is a whopping $139 per month. One you’ve ordered the kit, it auto-ships and bills your card again every month until you stop it. The kit contains three supplements, Rescue Me (claimed detox and appetite suppresser), Release Me (claimed relaxant) and Nightingale (claimed sleep aid), featuring many cheaply-available vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs and aids like vitamin C, folic acid, L-Tryptophan, fiber, green tea, calcium and magnesium.

The company also offers other supplements — notably Relieve Me, an anti-constipation supplement that Anonymous claim is related to Cal-Mag, a noxious-sounding dietary liquid developed by Hubbard that contains calcium, magnesium, vinegar and hot water. And that led some of those church members forced to drink it to, um, relieve themselves.

The evidence, while suggestive, is by no means conclusive. What is safe to say is that thousands, millions even, of people will be over-paying for unproven herbal supplements combined with a common-sense diet.

But how could they be jamming us. . .if they don’t know we’re coming? Yeah, I smell trap.

Former high-ranking $cientology explains why high-ranking $cientologists are usually giant fat-asses:

News From Around The Blogosphere 3.15.10

1. Valedictorian sues Indiana high school for putting graduation prayer up for a vote – Greenwood High School in Indianapolis seems to think their alumni won’t survive the outside world without praying to all mighty Jesus. The top ranked student in the graduating class, Eric Workman, is suing the school. And of course Christians are spinning this as discrimination somehow:

The Rev. Shan Rutherford, pastor of Greenwood Christian Church for more than three decades, said he disagrees with the proposition that such a prayer would violate a student’s rights.

“If I lived in a Muslim nation, a Hindu nation or anything else, I would expect to go along with the majority,” Rutherford said. “He’s trying to go with minority rule. To me, that’s wrong in a democracy, one that was founded on Christian principles.”

“If you don’t agree, I don’t think you should try to stop other people from exercising their rights.”

I’d pay real money to see this guy prayer to Allah or Vishnu right now. Who is he kidding? I think we all know this guy would sooner jump off a bridge to his death before praying to another god.

2. Christian fasts to death for Jesus -Evelyn Boyd decided to lock herself and a room and live only on water for three weeks. It turns out that this behavior leads to death. Who knew?

3.  ACLU sues Constance McMillen’s school – I’ve previously written about McMillen, the 18-year-old lesbian who school canceled prom rather than let her bring her girlfriend. And in retaliation for her going to the ACLU, they made sure it wasn’t exactly a secret as to why they canceled prom. Well, I hope they’re very proud of that decision because it’s now going to land them in court. Not only is the ACLU not backing down but the brave teen is standing up for principles:

“All I wanted was the same chance to enjoy my prom night like any other student. But my school would rather hurt all the students than treat everyone fairly,” said the student, 18-year-old Constance McMillen, in an ACLU news release. “This isn’t just about me and my rights anymore — now I’m fighting for the right of all the students at my school to have our prom.”

Good news and bad news for Ireland

Two major stories came out of Ireland over the weekend. First the good news. Ireland’s government is having second thoughts about the blasphemy law they passed last year:

Dermot Ahern, the justice minister, is proposing that a vote to remove the criminal offence of blasphemy be held as part of a planned series of referendums this autumn, writes Stephen O’Brien.

Ahern, who was criticised for increasing the fine for blasphemy to €25,000 last year, said he never regarded the provision in the new Defamation Bill as anything more than a short-term solution.

“There was a lot of nonsense about that blasphemy issue and people making me out to be a complete right-winger at the time,” he said. “There was an incredibly sophisticated campaign [against me], mainly on the internet.

Not against you, Dermot. About your fascist policy.

I categorized the other news story as “bad news” but because it involves something bad that happened a long time ago being exposed, I guess it’s kind of also good news.

Yup, I’m talking about more child abuse covered up by a high-ranking official in the Catholic Church:

Cardinal Sean Brady, primate of all-Ireland, admitted he was present at meetings where two abused teenagers were made to sign vows of silence.

But in case you’re outraged that this got away with directly participating in the covering up of a crime as heinous as child rape, rest assured that Cardinal Brady assures us that this is not a big deal:

“Frankly I don’t believe that this is a resigning matter.”

See. What’s wrong with you people. The Church does this sort of thing all the time. It’s not a big deal. It’s not like they married people of the same sex. It was just raping children…sexy, sexy children.

Don McLeroy on ABC

If I had a dollar for every stupid thing McLeroy has in this clip, I’d be a rich man:

Phil Plait accurately reflects my outrage at this lunatic here and here.

News From Around The Blogosphere 3.13.10

1. Anti-vaxxers vs. the U.S. legal system – I’d been saving this for a much longer piece I intend to write for The Gotham Skeptic this weekend but I felt it was necessary to at least mention it here. It seems that not only has the media turned on the anti-vaccine movement, but this week has been devastating to them in the courtroom. Last year, the best three cases of alleged autism due to vaccine-injury their lawyers could find had their days in court and lost miserably. Now the next three Autism Omnibus cases went before the court and. . .also lost miserably. Additionally, the contemptible Barbara Loe Fisher’s libel suit against Dr. Paul Offit, Amy Wallace, and Conde Nast was thrown out of court. It’s not a good day to be an anti-vaxxer.

2. Frying up Jesus – Jesus has finally returned. . .as bacon grease:

3. Life-enabling molecules spotted in Orion Nebula -

The chemical fingerprints of potentially life-building molecules have been detected in the Orion nebula by Europe’s Herschel Space Observatory.

The Orion nebula is a nearby stellar nursery, brimming with gas, dust and infant stars. It is known to be one of the most prolific chemical factories in space, although the full extent of its chemistry and the pathways for molecule formation are not well understood.

No god required.

4. McLeroy failed to change the science textbooks but succeeded in changing the history books - Take note as this may be remembered as the day the new dark ages began:

After three days of turbulent meetings, the Texas Board of Education on Friday approved a social studies curriculum that will put a conservative stamp on history and economics textbooks, stressing the superiority of American capitalism, questioning the Founding Fathers’ commitment to a purely secular government and presenting Republican political philosophies in a more positive light.

The vote was 10 to 5 along party lines, with all the Republicans on the board voting for it.

. . .

“We are adding balance,” said Dr. Don McLeroy, the leader of the conservative faction on the board, after the vote. “History has already been skewed. Academia is skewed too far to the left.”

Yes, history is too liberal. Better change it.

Cynthia Dunbar, a lawyer from Richmond who is a strict constitutionalist and thinks the nation was founded on Christian beliefs, managed to cut Thomas Jefferson from a list of figures whose writings inspired revolutions in the late 18th century and 19th century, replacing him with St. Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin and William Blackstone. (Jefferson is not well liked among conservatives on the board because he coined the term “separation between church and state.”)

Yeah, who needs Thomas Jefferson anyway? It’s not like he did anything important in our nation’s history, right? This is an academic disgrace and I hope the school board is sued for violating the Constitution. . .unless of course there is no more constitution according to the new revisionist history.

5. Tom Cruise desperate to salvage his failing career – He seems to think that making light of his previous scandals will fix thing problem. Sorry Tom but there’s only one way to repair your reputation. Leave the cult.