Month: February 2014

Keeping Up With the Creationists Vol. I Issue 2: Busy, Busy

Dana Hunter, , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

My, but these creationist buggers are prolific. There’s a second let’s-fuck-up-science-education worming its way through the Missouri legislature right now. This one likes to make its intentions known by intentionally singling out evolution as “controversial.” That’s a mighty thin fig leaf you’ve got there, Mr. HB 1587.

Our own Ed Brayton has a nice synopsis of the silliness that is HB 1472, HB 1587’s elder sibling. Poor creationists, wanting to pull their kiddies out of school so they don’t hear about that awful evolution. Actually, I think this may end up being a good idea. Educational contraband, man. You know many of those kids will be curious about this Forbidden Knowledge. It’s kinda like when your parents don’t want to know about certain magazines…

South Dakota, engaged in a game of mine’s-bigger-than-yours, has introduced SB 112, which gives a giant fuck-you finger to the Supreme Court and Kitzmiller by stating, sans fig leaf, “[n]o school board or school administrator may prohibit a teacher in public or nonpublic school from providing instruction on intelligent design or other related topics.” I do hope they love throwing away millions of dollars in legal fees, because that’s precisely what they’ll do if this nonsense passes.

Catching up with our old friend Virgina HB 207: our own Callan Bentley has torn it to shreds. I’m going to unrepentantly filch the picture he made because it sums everything up nicely: Continue reading “Keeping Up With the Creationists Vol. I Issue 2: Busy, Busy” →

Keeping Up With the Creationists Vol. I Issue 2: Busy, Busy
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New at Rosetta Stones: The Geologic Headaches of Constructing Sochi’s Olympic Village

Dana Hunter, , , , , , , , 6 Comments

Are you kinda excited for the Winter Olympics, my darlings? I mean, despite the fact it’s in Russia, which enjoys persecuting gay people cheerily waving rainbow flags at the opening ceremonies when it’s not busy claiming they don’t exist. And yes, they destroyed some perfectly good wetlands and dumped construction waste all over a pretty resort town in order to create structures on dangerous ground.

But that’s the fascinating part! Lots of geological consideration went in to all that construction. I had a look at one of the papers written before the first hole was dug, and yikes, is this ever complex. You may or may not love this year’s Winter Olympics, but you’ll definitely find the geology behind it interesting. Go check it out.

Edited to add: I stumbled across a seismograph of what Seahawks fans do to the ground round here, and just couldn’t help myself. Behold, the seismic impact of Seahawks fans. I’m coining the term anthropogenic seismicity if it hasn’t already been done.

New at Rosetta Stones: The Geologic Headaches of Constructing Sochi’s Olympic Village

All I Have to Say About the Super Bowl

Dana Hunter, , 5 Comments

Yes, my beloved city of Seattle is cheering on its own Seahawks today. Has been for the past several weeks, even the fabric store is sporting Seahawks colors. I have no bloody interest in football – horse racing, Quidditch and MMA are my great loves – but I do love one thing in particular about this Super Bowl:

Image shows the Broncos logo on top, Seahawks logo in the middle, and Dr. Evil doing air quotes at the bottom. The caption says, "The two states that legalized pot are getting together for a "Super Bowl."
No idea who created this, because there are ten million copies abounding, and I couldn’t find you. But I love you for it.

It’s too much to hope both teams stop playing while tied in the 4th quarter, and instead of finishing the game, sit down together to get baked, isn’t it? I mean, they could continue later for those fans who insist on a winner. But I think it would be an awesome if, just for a while, there were no winners or losers, just people having some happy fun times together.

Sigh.

But it’s not in Seattle or Denver, so I suppose the police tromping in to arrest everyone for possession would kinda put a damper on it. Not to mention some of the fans would become upset.

Yet still I dream…

All I Have to Say About the Super Bowl

FtBCon2’s Religion and Homeschooling Panel Shows Why Secular Folk Need to Pay Attention

Dana Hunter, , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

We all know neglecting to feed your kids is wrong, right? Neglecting to give them shelter, or medical attention (unless you’re religious in some states – a blind spot in the law we need to fix), or any other basic necessity of life is illegal. You might even get popped for emotional neglect. But in some states, you’re legally allowed to steal a child’s future. Extremist homeschool parents and their allies call it a right. They decide what their children get to learn, or if they get to learn at all. Educational neglect, to them, is their right. A child’s right to the future an education can give them is beneath their consideration.

If you get a chance, and you care about educating children, you should spare an hour for this video. It will horrify you. Continue reading “FtBCon2’s Religion and Homeschooling Panel Shows Why Secular Folk Need to Pay Attention” →

FtBCon2’s Religion and Homeschooling Panel Shows Why Secular Folk Need to Pay Attention

Hey, Christianist Textbook Fans! Wanna Do Something Fun?

Dana Hunter2 Comments

The FtBCon2 Panel on Religion and Homeschooling will be going on at 2pm Pacific – if you hate-to-love and/or love-to-hate our Christianist texts, you should come hang out! Just click that big red banner at the very top of the page to get there.

You can also use it to see the other awesome stuff going on today and tomorrow. I’d be all over everything if I didn’t have deadlines. You’ll have to rub some salt in my wounds by telling me what I’m missing.

***

Well, that was information-packed and a bit terrifying if you’ve not encountered the extremism in the fundamentalist Christian homeschool movement. Did you miss it? Not to worry! There’s a video:

For those, like me, who almost never watch videos, I’ll have a synopsis up a bit later.

Hey, Christianist Textbook Fans! Wanna Do Something Fun?

Four Tits, a Woodpecker, and a Nuthatch Fly Up to a Feeder….

Dana Hunter18 Comments

It can get awfully busy at RQ’s feeder on a cold winter morning. Check out the crowd she had just a few days ago! (Also: Someone’s going to have to write a mildly-bawdy and possibly feminist punchline for that post title.)

First, some Blue Tits: Continue reading “Four Tits, a Woodpecker, and a Nuthatch Fly Up to a Feeder….” →

Four Tits, a Woodpecker, and a Nuthatch Fly Up to a Feeder….