At Boing Boing: NASA’s dancing penis. What strike’s me (besides the general creepiness) is the sloppy production values. The edges of the black curtain are plainly visible throughout the video. What more proof do you need that NASA could not have faked the moon landing? They just don’t have the cinematic skills.
Tag: Skepticism
This website has news reports, trial transcripts, and much more of our very own 21st century "Scopes Monkey Trial." Inherit the Wind in real time. Link
Briefly (quoted from the site FAQ):
On October 18, 2004, the Dover Area School District (DASD) added this statement to its science curriculum:
Students will be made aware of gaps/problems in Darwin’s Theory and of
other theories of evolution including, but not limited to, intelligent
design. Note: Origins of life will not be taught.
On November 19, the DASD issued a statement to be read in biology classes which says, in part:
Intelligent Design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin’s view. The reference book Of Pandas and People
is available for students to see if they would like to explore this
view in an effort to gain an understanding of what Intelligent Design
actually involves. As is true with any theory, students are encouraged
to keep an open mind.
These, taken together, comprise the DASD “intelligent design policy”.
Kitmiller et al., are a group of 11 Dover parents represented by the ACLU of Pennsylvania. They are suing on the grounds that the above policy violate the First Amendment.
I’ve only skimmed a few of the transcripts but they are fascinating. Watch the defense experts in favor of ID twist and turn as they try and represent ID as a scientific theory, which – from what I’ve seen – seems to entail trying not to say anything at all.
Some detail on the project to write a thriller concerning the dangers of buying prescription drugs from Canada. Higher up’s at PhRMA (aka The Drug Lobby) say that this project was "a screwball idea" – the product of one "rogue executive."
Fiction Genre Fits Big Pharma – Los Angeles Times.
"She [the PhRMA executive] was intimately involved," says Spivak [one of two co-authors], who declined to identify the executive but made it clear that he regarded her input as lowbrow. She demanded that the terrorists be militant Muslims but that their motivation be greed, not politics. She insisted on lots of "frilly female stuff," Spivak says, "Harlequin Romance stuff" — but also that the book incorporate long polemical passages drawn from transcripts of congressional hearings. Spivak says he acceded to many of these demands because "PhRMA was the client." He adds that he had no doubt that the project was being followed by higher-ups at the lobbying group.
Shatner stumbles in Captain’s Glory, print media’s 920th attempt to adapt Denny Crane’s previous incarnation from the screen. I have not read the book, for to do so would only influence my opinion and therefore pollute the journalistic integrity of this review. I am more interested in knowing who does read these books, as I have never met anyone who has, nor have I met anyone who has met anyone who has. And to what end are they read? Other questions, just as frightening, come to mind. Why are there no T.J. Hooker novels? There are Diagnosis Murder novels, there are Murder, She Wrote novels, as a child my nephew owned not one, but two Man from U.N.C.L.E. novels – both in German. Or, more provocatively yet, what if there are T.J. Hooker novels, only to be systematically hidden from me? The implications are mind-boggling. I have not been paid yet for my previous review so the conscience of capitalism compels I cut this one to the quick. – Garland D’Warhoone
The Right Reverend Deacon Dr. D’Warhoone asks that copies of T.J. Hooker novels to be considered for review be sent to: The-Narrows-off-Old-Bottom-Farm Road, Blueville, Pancake Dinner Mountain, Oklahoma.
10-26-2005 Dateline: USA – Today a consortium of geeks, nerds, and hipsters called for a national day of mourning to mark the first Wednesday of the fall season without a fresh episode of Lost.
"There will be a repeat of episode 02.02 tonight, and 02.03 will air again next week" said Colin Glip of Portland Oregon, who moonlights from his day job as a software engineer to act as spokesman for the consortium, "but as each of us should have had ample time for repeated viewings of ‘Man of Science, Man of Faith’ and ‘Orientation’ via Tivo, Bit Torrent, and iTunes, we encourage all true Losties to spend the day in silent prayer and meditation. Of course, repeated additional viewings of ‘The Dharma Initiative Orientation Film for Station 3′ are always recommended and we encourage fans facing significant personal challenges or withdrawal symptoms to view this film as often as needed. We require that everyone stay strong for the hurdles ahead during sweeps," Glip continued, referring to the reported impending death of a major female character during the November period when TV networks report their viewership numbers to advertisers.
Many sources point toward Shannon as the likeliest victim. But among Losties there is a clear division of opinion over who should die. "Women hate Kate, so they want it to be her. Men are still clinging to the hope that it’ll be the French lady," said Glip. "There are those few who don’t care who it is," he said, with a slight curl of the lip. "But those are mostly Tailies. You know … Ana-Lucia fans. We don’t talk to them. They simply aren’t like us, when all is said and done."
"Lost" returns with new episodes November 9th. — Garland D’Warhoone
Tags: Television Lost
In my efforts to post every day, and because a milestone of sorts is on the horizon, here is a list of everything of mines that is currently in some pile on somebody’s space heater, or in an email box awaiting a massive hard drive crash (and the inevitable plea on Ralan to please resend). The story lengths are very approximate, dates listed show when I mailed each piece out, and, yes, the years on those first two dates are correct …
1. Second Season (2k) 5/14/04 Borderlands 6 (Apparently not on the short list)
2. Stalking A Wizard (Poem) 8/11/04 Weird Tales (The only poem I’ve written that does not make me want to vomit … anymore.)
Cenk Uygur: If You’re a Christian, Muslim or Jew – You are Wrong | The Huffington Post.
"It is a chilling fact that most of the world’s leaders believe in nonsensical fairytales about the nature of reality." -Cenk Uygur.
Uygur does not pull any punches but I strongly believe that what he says needed saying. After the post had been up about 12 hours there were about 175 comments, running about even for and against (however, many of "for" camp also object to Uygur’s offensive tone, feeling that it is counterproductive. I made posted about 5 comments myself, and (in my ever expanding quest to find words to stick in this blog) I am reposting those comments here in the continuation of this post. I don’t think they suffer horribly from being removed from their original context — most of them a responses to a poster who calls himself "Captain Video," and I quote the relevant parts of his posts in mind. In my fury to get these out I made many many grammatical and syntactical errors, but this is a good representation of my feelings on the subject of God. There are much better expressers of my type of argument available at the original post. But these are mine.
Possibly the most depressing news story ever. Link: New York Times.
Nothing discredits the United Nations more than the continuing sexual abuse of women and girls by soldiers belonging to its international peacekeeping missions. And yet almost a year after shocking disclosures about such crimes in Congo, far too little has been done to end the culture of impunity,
CENK UYGUR IS AWESOME!!!!
I hope he doesn’t get murdered. LINK | The Huffington Post.
Sadly, Lenox Avenue, the online journal that published my story "A Flavor of Quark" back in Issue 5, has ceased publication. I can imagine — just — what gargantuan efforts go into putting together regular runs of fiction, and I’m always amazed that so many folks put forth the effort. I am truly grateful for what they do.
Critic Garland D’Warhoone opines: "Oates, King, Straub, Houellebecq, step aside. Using modes of pacing, character, and dialog seemingly ripped from a parallel reality – or culled perhaps from the unholy reaches of space – comes a new master of the macabre." 
Tag:
Books
For Saturday, quadruple D’Warhoone!
"His best book since Lucky Jim!" – Garland D’Warhoone
Tag: Books
