Woo-hoo! The new Doctor Who is appearing on the SciFi Channel tonight, with a two-hour, two episode premiere. I’ve already seen all the episodes, thanks to my mother’s proximity to the Canadian border and her willingness to send me videotapes from Canadian TV, but those of you who are (or were) Doctor Who fans and haven’t seen the new Doctor yet, are in for a real treat. It’ll also give me a chance to check the best episodes out again.
Update on the arson at the Holocaust History Project
Last week, I reported about arson at the offices of The Holocaust History Project (THHP), posted one update, and was gratified to see how many bloggers responded to my call to link to THHP as a big “screw you!” to whoever did this. An article about the arson at the Holocaust History Project has appeared in the San Antonio Express News, including an interview with Sara Salzman, who acted as spokesperson for THHP because Harry Mazal was out of town. It appears that the police and fire department do not believe that this was a hate crime for reasons that …
Out of work due to woo
EoR reports that in Australia, legislation has been passed that allows people other than doctors to issue medical certificates for absences from work, including pharmacists, nurses, acupuncturists, and physiotherapists. Quite naturally, he wonders when the “the reikiists, the homeopathists and the therapeutic touch” practitioners will want the same privileges and imagines the sorts of letters they will produce: This is to certify that Joe Bloggs is suffering from Stagnant qi Liver toxins Mercury poisoning He will be unfit for work for two weeks while he strengthens his immune system. Heh. I could do this. How about:
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day: I can’t argue with this result too much
Here’s an appropriate one for St. Patrick’s Day: You Are Guinness You know beer well, and you’ll only drink the best beers in the world. Watered down beers disgust you, as do the people who drink them. When you drink, you tend to become a bit of a know it all – especially about subjects you don’t know well. But your friends tolerate your drunken ways, because you introduce them to the best beers around. What’s Your Beer Personality? Although I do like Guinness, it’s not my favorite beer. Personally, I prefer Magic Hat No. 9, Goose Island Honker’s Ale, …
The History Carnival
The latest History Carnival has been posted at History:Other. Enjoy.
Deconstructing Dembski mathematically
MarkCC is really making a name for himself pretty fast with Good Math, Bad Math, a blog dedicated to “shredding bad math and squashing the crackpots who espouse it.” (And to think that a post of mine had a small role in getting him going and promoting him in the blogosphere; it almost makes me tear up to see him doing so well so fast.) This time, Mark’s turning his mathematical skills to deconstructing the dubious mathematics in a paper entitled Fitness Among Competitive Agents by that icon of and tireless propagandist for “intelligent design” creationism, William Dembski. The result …
New project: The Ethics of Vaccines
Since I’ve found myself drawn into blogging about vaccines and the antivaccination movement so much, I was interested to learn of a new project dedicated to discussing the ethical issues involved with vaccination being launched at the University of Pennsylvania: The Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine announced the beginning of an 18 month project to examine the field of vaccine development and use. Plans call for providing an ethical framework to help guide researchers, pharmaceutical companies, public-health agencies, health-care providers, and citizens regarding vaccines and their safe, effective, and ethical use. The website itself, …
Microsoft has a sense of humor after all
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a link to a rather humorous video that asked what would happen if Microsoft had designed iPod packaging. (The old link seems to be dead, but the video can be found here.) It turns out that the Microsoft was responsible: Microsoft spokesman Tom Pilla on Tuesday confirmed with iPod Observer that his company initiated the creation of the iPod packaging parody video that was first reported last month. “It was an internal-only video clip commissioned by our packaging [team] to humorously highlight the challenges we have faced RE: packaging and to educate marketers …
The 30th Meeting of the Skeptics Circle
It’s that time again! The 30th Meeting of the Skeptics’ Circle has been posted over at Paige’s Page, and it’s a big one, chock full of skeptical bloggy goodness, delivered in a straight-up style: Welcome to the 30th Skeptic’s Circle, the first one with a theme song! Come and listen to my story about a man named Jed … Okay, I didn’t say it was an original theme song, nor did I say it was relevant, but it is kinda catchy. But, to move on to the main subject of tonight’s symposium, come on in, set a spell, take your …
Support cancer research by supporting the Spector-Harkin Amendment
Evolgen and I both wrote about this earlier, when the Genetics Society of America urged people to contact their Senators. Now the biggest organization dedicated to cancer research, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), has weighed in. Received in my e-mail today: To: All AACR Members From: Dr. Margaret Foti, Chief Executive Officer; Dr. William G. Nelson V, Chairperson, Science Policy & Legislative Affairs Committee Date: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 by e-mail Re:’Please Contact Your Senators TODAY or TOMORROW in Support of the Specter-Harkin Budget Amendment and the Feinstein-Mikulski Amendment-MAKE CONTACT BY 4:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 16 …